Mind Games
by dark rolling sea
Summary: A voice triggers a memory long kept hidden, which drags everyone invovled into a deadly game of good versus evil. Can Gibbs and company help Devin Beck make it to the other side? And just who is Devin Beck anyway? Kibbs in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to NCIS, only original characters and the plot belong to me.**

**AN: This is going to be a longer piece, the team will eventually be in it, I know it's very original character centric right now, and if you guys don't want it I can always remove it, but it's going to be three or four chapters, maybe five before the team appears. There will be romance later in the story, most likely Kibbs and maybe some Tiva...that said, yes this is AU, obviously if both Kate and Ziva are around. I will use Leon Vance as the director. **

**AN2: The stories I already have in progress on this site are on hold until further notice. But I feel this story will take hold and be finished. I got a lot of it already in my head and the more I write the clearer the picture becomes. Hope you enjoy it. Leave your comments when you are done, and thank you for reading. **

**dark rolling sea.**

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**Mind Games**

Devin Beck woke with a start. She was covered in sweat and her heart was pounding. She glanced at her bedside clock and sighed, another five AM waking. She slumped back against her pillows and stared at her ceiling. The dream had come again; she just wished she could remember it.

She never remembered what happened in her dreams, just that she was panicked and sweaty when she woke, and the blankets and sheets were always in a knot around her. Not to mention the soreness of her muscles, most likely caused by thrashing around. But the dream never stayed with her after she woke, never lingered in her mind.

Most nights she assumed it was of that fateful day almost twenty years ago that changed her life forever, but she had never been able to remember what had happened in that Los Angeles home. The doctor called it psychogenic amnesia, caused by the emotional trauma suffered. The trauma so great, her memory shut down to preserve the sanity of the being, closing out all access to the brutal sites she saw, terrifying sounds she heard.

She untangled herself from the knotted up bedding and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. After grabbing a quick shower and dressing for the day, she headed into the kitchen for breakfast. A bagel and a cup of juice later, she was out the door headed towards the office. She knew with it being only six in the morning she'd be the first one from her shift there, but she had cases she could look at.

Sometimes she wondered why she settled in Baltimore, but deep inside she knew. She couldn't live in small town America anymore, but she also didn't want to be away from Nick Beck, the man that raised her. He was what she had that resembled a family, or at least what accepted her as family. It was also close enough to home to drive there if she ever felt the urge to…visit.

Blowing out a breath to calm her rampaging mind, she settled in behind the wheel for the short drive to the station. Once inside she nodded to Conner Deitrich, who ran the watch desk overnight. The young officer smiled back to her before returning his attention to the phone call he was taking. Devin made it to her desk, one of many jammed into a room much too small for what it held. But that was what they had, and if they managed just right, you avoided slamming elbows with your neighbor.

Sitting down behind her desk she unclipped her gun and badge from her belt and locked them in the top drawer. She then opened the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out two binders and plopped them down on her desk. She spread them out and stared at each of them a moment before deciding to open the one on the left first.

A cold case now, it had been almost a year ago that the murder had taken place. As junior partner, she was the one that had to do the follow up and brush up every six months on it. Her partner usually handled those kinds of things, but this case was different and it had struck a cord with Eddie Miller, her partner. Usually tough as nails, and devoid of emotion, she had noticed the toll this particular case had taken on him. She had refrained from commenting, knowing it would just cause more problems if she did, and obediently accepted the assignment of follow up on the sad case. It was never easy to deal with a murder of a child, and when it went unsolved it was even tougher.

After flipping through the thin file and making some new notes, she made a list of people to call and touch base with on the case before sliding the binder back into place in the drawer. The second binder was an old case that had caught her attention recently. She had been down in archives with Eddie and they had come across a murder that had happened almost thirty years ago.

Eddie had opened the files and showed her what had been done and she had never seen anything so gruesome, and wondered how someone could do such a thing. The bodies that were found weren't only murdered, but the killer had tortured and mutilated them for months before he finally killed them. The killer had been found; a man named William James Eriksson, and confessed to over twenty five killings.

Whenever Devin had spare time now, she read through the interviews, and looked at the case, paying particular attention to the mindset of Eriksson and how he portrayed what he did. Devin was engrossed in the case, and missed the others filing in, until Eddie slid unceremoniously into the chair next to her with a sigh. Devin looked up to find her partner rumpled and looking as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Eddie, you look like you slept under the bridge last night, you ok?"

"Eh, problems with Louise," he mumbled grumpily as he slammed down some coffee. Devin watched him a moment. Louise was his wife of fifteen years; they had two children together, a boy of fourteen, and a girl of ten.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing to worry about, Dev, sure it'll blow over, what you working on?"

"Nothing. Just couldn't sleep and came in to work on some stuff. Just looking at Eriksson again."

"Don't get too sucked in by that psycho," Eddie replied making a face. "He's evil in a way that you rarely see in a human being."

"I'm just fascinated by the psychological aspect of all this. Just wonder how a man can do what he did and not show remorse, or guilt. And his smile."

"Like I said, Dev, don't get sucked into his bullshit. Evil has a way of ruining good people. What we got for today?"

"Cap hasn't been around yet; you actually made it in before roll for once."

"Hey now, girl," Eddie feigned before laughing. "This old dog makes it in once in a while for roll."

"I guess so," Devin replied with a smile. "Everyone is milling towards the conference room, guess we'd better start that way too."

After roll, Devin and Eddie were assigned an attempted murder case. They drove to the hospital and spoke with the doctor that was treating their victim and asked when they would be able to question him. The doctor was hesitant to let them in, and warned them that they had sedated the man to keep him from hurting himself further. Devin got the impression that the doctor didn't believe the story the man had given as to what happened.

"Something we should know, Doctor Weinsted?" Devin asked as she leaned against a wall in the waiting area.

"I've already told you everything," Weinsted replied defensively.

"You're just agitated," Devin replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "And you're hostile towards the victim. Makes me think you don't believe his story."

"We'll determine if he's telling the truth or not, Dr. Weinsted," Eddie added giving Devin a glare. Devin shrugged again and looked down the hall away from the two men. The doctor huffed for a moment, obviously offended by Devin's remarks before he replied.

"You can see him in half an hour, the drugs should be subsiding by then and he'll be a little more coherent. You can wait here until that time," Weinsted gritted before storming off down the hall.

"That man has a bug up his ass about something," Devin replied as she pushed from the wall and flopped heavily into a hard plastic chair.

"That doesn't mean you should ruin our relationship with him," Eddie said with a smile as he patted his younger partner's knee. "Be nice, eh kid?"

"Just saying," Devin replied as she closed her eyes.

"You don't look like you got much sleep last night either. What's eating you?"

"That damn dream again," Devin mumbled as she sat forward and rubbed a hand over her face.

"Which dream?"

"I don't know," she replied irritably and then realized what she was doing. "Sorry."

"Hey, kid, you ok?" Eddie asked as he let a hand drop on her shoulder. She could hear the genuine concern in his voice and she licked her lips and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Just this dream I have sometimes. Not very often, but enough to drive me nuts."

"What's it about?"

"That's just it. I wake up covered in sweat, panicked, and the bedding in a knot, muscles aching, but I have _no idea_ what the dream was about."

"No recollection at all. Nothing lingers?"

"Yeah, nothing. Just I know it scared the hell out of me, but can't remember it, so I guess really it didn't. I don't know."

"What's going in your life when you have the dream? Is there a commonality?"

"I don't think so," Devin said wearily. She knew Eddie knew part of her history, but she didn't know how much of it he knew. She wasn't in the mood to open up and spill the traumatic events of twenty years ago, not that she could. Nobody really knew what happened, since her memory of the event was gone, and no other witnesses survived. She blew out a frustrated breath and felt the hand on her shoulder squeeze softly.

"You know I'm here, right? If you ever need someone to lean on, talk to, whatever. Don't kill yourself keeping it all bottled up."

"Thanks, Eddie," Devin replied with a smile. His hand lingered a moment longer on her shoulder before it slowly dropped to his side. Devin always knew there was a strong bond between the two of them and she wondered where it had come from. Maybe it was just being partners for two years, spending half your time with someone makes you connect with them. They know what you're going through better than anyone else could.

They saw a nurse approaching them and both rose to their feet as she came to a stop in front of them. She looked from Devin to Eddie and then addressed Eddie. Devin had to smile, that happened a lot. She was often viewed as the kid tagging along with daddy, but really it didn't bother her…she did look like she was about fifteen and not twenty eight.

"Are you Detectives Miller and Beck?"

"Yes, I'm Miller, she's Beck," Eddie replied.

"Dr. Weinsted said you can see Mr. Tanner now. He's calmed a little and his mind is more coherent now that the sedative has had a chance to metabolize. This way."

Once in the room Devin hung back slightly as Eddie walked up to the bed. Both could tell that Mr. Tanner was agitated and scared. His eyes darted from detective to detective, his tongue darting out to lick his lips every few seconds. Eddie spoke first.

"Mr. Tanner, I'm Detective Eddie Miller with Baltimore PD. That's my partner Detective Devin Beck. We're here to ask you what happened."

"That crazy son of a bitch tried to kill me," Tanner hissed out and then winced. Eddie nodded slowly.

"Start from the beginning."

"I don't know who he was, he just came out of the shadows, I never got a good look at him. He blind sided me over the head and bam I hit the ground like a ton of bricks. Then he shot me. Mother fucker shot me."

"Easy now," Eddie cooed before continuing. "And you didn't see anything?"

"No," Tanner said empathically shaking his head violently from side to side. "Not a god dammed thing! This asshole just out and busts me up, and that stupid doctor thinks I made it all up! He called a fucking shrink."

"Easy now, we're trying to get to the bottom of this," Eddie replied in a calming voice. Tanner nodded slowly, but Devin could still see the agitation in his body.

"Did he hit you over the head with his hand, or did he use something?"

"I didn't see but I can tell you it felt like a metal pipe or something. It was heavy and hard."

"And when he shot you, did you get a look at him?"

"No, my eye sight was blurred from the blow to the head, and he kept to the shadow. God my head is splitting right now," Tanner continued before closing his eyes and leaning back against the pillows. Eddie looked at Devin before he finished up.

"We'll be back to talk to you later, Mr. Tanner, once you've had a chance to recover a little more. Try to think of something you might not be remembering right now."

Tanner simply nodded slowly, his eyes still closed. Eddie motioned to leave and Devin led the way into the hallway. They were at the car before either of them spoke, and it wasn't until Eddie unlocked the doors and they were both inside before that happened.

"What do you think?" Eddie asked.

"I think he's telling the truth. But something made the doctor suspicious."

"He had wounds on his hands," Eddie replied glancing sideway at Devin to gauge her reaction.

"Yeah, I saw those. And they didn't look like defensive wounds, nor did he say he fought back."

"Maybe whoever hit him and shot him was acting in self defense."

"Possibly. But still, Eddie, I believe him. He seemed genuine to me."

"Yeah, that's the problem, to me too."

"So,"

"We hit the crime scene, and see what evidence we can find. Maybe it can tell us what really happened in that alley."


	2. Chapter 2

They were almost to the crime scene when the radio chirped with information. Devin grabbed the mic as she listened to the dispatcher call out their call number. She depressed the button and pulled the transmitter to her mouth before answering.

"This is Six-O-Six, go ahead base," Devin replied smoothly.

"What's your location Six-O-Six?" the voice crackled back at her.

"On our way to the alley. Headed north west on Wabash."

"Received a call in about a possible body. Divert to Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station."

"10-4 Dispatch, Six-O-Six heading to Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station."

Devin replaced the transmitter and looked over at Eddie. She could see in his eyes that he was thinking what she was. There could be a strong possibility that this body was connected to their victim from last night. Devin broke the silence first.

"Think it's connected?"

"Possible. We've got a shooting less than a block from where they find a body? I don't believe in coincidences. Now the question is, did Tanner have anything to do with this body, or was it a case of wrong place wrong time. The killer may have tried to kill a witness that didn't know he was a witness."

"Or Tanner knew what had happened and he's hiding it from us."

"Another possibility. Looks like over there, lots of commotion."

Eddie steered the car into the back of a clump of other police vehicles and the two exited their vehicle. Eddie stood for a moment, leaning on the top of the car, surveying the scene in front of him. Devin came around the front of the car and looked for the uniform officer that had been first on scene.

"You the detectives?" A young man in a blue uniform asked hesitantly as he eyed Devin first, then Eddie.

"Yeah," Devin replied and then made introductions around.

"I'm Officer Joey Plano. I was first on scene and found what looks to be a body."

"Looks?" Eddie asked as he walked around the kid and headed towards the clump of people.

"Well, sir, we didn't get too close. I mean my partner and me. We just kind of looked into the pile and when we saw the blood, we just backed out and called you guys in."

"Did you call the crime lab in yet?"

"No, sir, we wanted you to look at it first."

Eddie nodded and moved to the pile of garbage in the alleyway. He glanced around and realized they were only about a hundred feet from where the report said Tanner had been found. Eddie pulled on a pair of latex gloves as Devin came up behind him doing the same. They both squatted down next to the heap and Devin inhaled the air deeply.

"Smell that?"

"Yeah, blood," Eddie replied quietly. He then lifted a large box up and let out a sigh. "I think this may have been a body at one time."

Devin leaned in closer and blew out a breath. What was left had been mutilated and dismembered. The legs were detached and the corpse only had one arm. She looked around the mess, and realized there was no head in sight.

"You see a head?"

"No," Eddie replied softly before letting the box drop. "Need to call in a 10-40, kid."

"Yeah," Devin said rising to her feet. She headed back to the car, thinking of the brutality of the murder. Her mind kept jumping to Eriksson but she knew it couldn't be right. He was in prison. Someone else had just as much evil in them, and that scared her just a little bit. She sat down in the seat and pulled the transmitter to her.

"Dispatcher, this is Six-O-Six."

"Go ahead, Six-O-Six."

"We need a 10-40 at Reisterstown Plaza. It's definitely a body."

"10-4, Six-O-Six, crime lab will be notified."

Devin sat a moment in the car and tried to clear her mind of the image. It was gruesome to say the least, pictures were one thing, but to see it, smell it, in person was something entirely different. This was going to be a tough one. Her mind drifted back to Tanner once again and she wondered what his connection was to the dead body. Was it simply wrong place wrong time? Or did he know what happened in that alley, questions that they would need to find the answers to.

She was still sitting in the car when Eddie came up. He stood for a moment staring in at her through the windshield before he came around to her side. He leaned against the open door as she sat with her legs outside the car. She looked up at him.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. That body was taken apart. Either there was a lot of rage involved in the killing, or we got a major problem on our hands. If it was simply torture, we may have a sadistic killer on our hands. If it was rage," he paused and shrugged, "then could just be a crime of passion or a single killing. We let the crime techs work the scene and see what they come up with."

"It's probably because I looked at the file this morning, but my mind keeps jumping to Eriksson."

"He's been in prison longer than you've been alive."

"I know. But the brutality of the crime just seems to match."

Eddie just nodded as he stared at her. She knew he could see the torment etched in her eyes, he was one of the very few people she could hide from, but for some reason it didn't bother her. Normally she would lock down and keep her emotions hidden. Something learned from her tormented and horrendous past. Nick had tried to help her reconnect with the word, but the pain was still greatly seeded in her heart and soul.

They waited for almost twenty minutes before the crime techs rolled in with their vans. The coroner also drove in right behind them and the scene was now bustling with activity. Eddie and Devin stood back and watched keeping an eye on what was going on, but staying out of the way so it could go as fast as possible.

By noon they were on their way back to the station, and silence filled the car. Once back at their desks Eddie sat staring at the binder in front of him. It was empty for the moment, but soon the two of them would type up their first reports, get the one from the two uniformed officers who were first on the scene, and they would start building their murder book.

Devin was busy working up the report on the interview with Tanner from the morning when Eddie disappeared from his desk. She didn't notice at first, but after a while when he didn't come back, she began to wonder where he had gone. Usually he tells her when he's going off to do something. She finished the report, read it several times, and then signed the bottom. After punching the side with the three hole punch, she slipped the report into the binder.

She was reaching for her cell phone when Eddie reappeared in the doorway, hurrying back to his desk. He looked frazzled and upset, but Devin knew better than to push for information. When Eddie was ready, Eddie always shared. That was how the man worked. The more you pushed him, the further he held you away, and something in Devin admired that.

"Let's go see Tanner again. Maybe he can shed some light on this new body."

"When's the autopsy scheduled for?"

"Later this week. Morgue is still backed up. I've got a rush order in, but we're still a week off if we're lucky."

"Gotta love that."

They were in the car headed towards the hospital when Eddie finally spoke to her about what was on his mind. They had been traveling in relative silence, the only noise coming from the radio, but even that was turned down so it was barely audio. Eddie reached out and turned off the scanner, and Devin knew he was going to share something serious. Eddie had turned their police scanner off a total of three times in their two years together.

The first time was after his mother died. They had pulled into a parking lot, where he turned the car off along with the scanner, and spilled his guts to her about how lost he felt. The second time was after they had gotten the case of Missy Reece, the cold case Devin had worked on that morning. He had cried that time. And now, a third time. She knew it wasn't about the case; they had just dug into it so there wasn't anything that had pushed his buttons, yet…so it had to be personal.

"What's up?" She asked slowly, glancing at him, studying his face. There was pain, and exhaustion etched into the lines around his eyes, and torment floated around inside them. She could see his muscles were tense and his hands gripped the steering wheel just a little too tightly.

"I think I'm getting a divorce," he breathed out quietly. Devin swallowed and turned to look out the windshield.

"So the trouble with Louise is a little deeper than you've been letting on."

"Yeah, I've been sleeping in the apartment, since my tenant moved out last month."

"What's going on, Ed?"

"Louise thinks…well she says…"

"Spit out, old timer," Devin replied softly. She looked over at him in time to catch his gaze as he smiled at her. The ten year age gap between them had caused the nicknames they had for each other. She didn't mind it when he called her kid, and she knew he laughed when she called him old timer…he was only thirty eight years old.

"Well," he began again, but hesitated, letting out a long sigh. Devin could tell he was having trouble forming his thoughts into words.

"I won't judge, Partner, you know that. When you're ready, you can tell me. I hope things work out, but if you get a divorce, you need something, you know you can call me."

"Yeah, kid, I know," he said softly. Devin reached over and squeezed his should softly. He was quiet for a moment but then it just rushed out of his mouth in a torrent. "Louise thinks I'm in love with another woman."

Devin was quiet for a minute. She could tell that Eddie was wishing she would say something but the words had stunned her for a moment. She spent the most time with him; she knew there wasn't another woman in his life, just Louise…and her. She tilted her head to the side and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Closing her mouth she took in a deep breath and let it out noisily, before she finally responded.

"And?"

Eddie looked over at her and smiled softly. He shrugged his shoulders as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. He put the car in park after finding a space, but made no move to get out. He bit at his lower lip, running his hand slowly and softly along the steering wheel. Devin sat patiently waiting for him to form his thoughts.

"I told her she may be right," he said softly, another roll of his shoulders. She watched as his face blushed slightly, and he avoided making eye contact with her. She felt the confusion and turmoil rocket through her body.

"Who?" She asked hesitantly, her voice breaking slightly causing her to look down at her lap, her hand gripping the door handle tightly.

"There are three women in my life that I spend time with, Devin." His voice was soft and patient. It melted in her ears as she felt her heart quicken. This couldn't be happening. She looked over at him and shook her head. He was a handsome man; she noticed that from the first time they were introduced.

His features were soft, his jaw square, and his eyes were a dark but bright blue. His nose blended into his face perfectly, and his hair was always kept in that military fade, the black still strong and vibrant in color. He wasn't the biggest of guys, actually slightly on the smaller side. He was only a couple inches taller than her and she was only five feet five inches.

"Eddie," Devin stumbled over the word. It was all she could say, not knowing what was going on or where this was headed. Her mind spun with everything and nothing at the same time and she felt overwhelmed. This was definitely unexpected.

"I know you don't feel the same, kid, it's ok. And I don't want you to feel responsible for breaking up my marriage, and it's not your fault."

"I…" Devin began but she couldn't seem to get anything else out. She needed time to think, to sort out her feelings for him. She'd always seen him as her partner, the rock to keep her safe while at work. They had grown closer and closer over the years, and he was the best friend she had in the world. She had never been closer to a person in her life, not even Nick Beck, but was it love?

Before she could respond more Eddie was out of the car and heading towards the front door. She watched him walk away, noticing how the suit hung on his form perfectly. Maybe she did have deeper feelings for him, but could she really explore them? Would they really be able to see how deep their relationship ran? Or would it end in disaster because of how it began. She realized she needed to hustle if she was going to catch up with him and help with the interrogation.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Just wondering if anyone is enjoying this story or not...not getting much feedback but see people are reading it. The team will appear in chapter six if you're wondering where they are at right now. **

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Eddie was already in Tanner's room when Devin caught up with him. His professional manner was back, and there was no trace of the conversation they had just had in his demeanor. Sometimes she wondered how he could transition so quickly, but she pushed the thoughts from her mind as she focused on what he was saying, content to let him take the lead.

"Mr. Tanner, we need to have a serious talk about what happened to you."

"I already told you," Tanner spat out at him, clearly agitated.

"What were you doing in that alley at three in the morning?"

"What? I was just going home. I was trying to get to Reisters…"

"The metro was closed. What were you doing in the alley at three in the morning?"

"Look man I was just trying to get home. I don't live that far from there; I cut through there all the time. I wasn't going to Reisterstown for the metro, I was cutting through b'cuz I live a block from there."

"What did you see before the man attacked you?"

"I told you nothing! It was dark. I was hurrying across to get home. The man came out of the shadows."

"What happened to your hands?"

"What?" Tanner asked as he lifted his hands, dropping his eyes. Devin thought he was realizing for the first time his hands were torn and bruised. "I…I don't know."

"Come on, Tanner, you want me to believe you didn't know your hands were torn up?"

"I honestly don't know. I have no memory of hurting my hands."

"I think you got into a fight with someone. Threw some punches, and in the end it got you shot."

"No."

"What were you doing out at that time anyway?"

"I was coming home."

"From where?"

"A friend's place. Look…"

"Name."

"What?"

"Your friend's name."

"Kelly. Kelly Harmon. Look I don't know why that guy attacked…"

"We found a body less than a hundred yards where the paramedics found you."

"A body?"

"Yeah, a dead one," Eddie deadpanned. Devin watched Tanner's expression for any kind of response and she saw the slight surprise in his eyes. It could have been faked.

"Oh, God. A dead body?"

"What did you see in that alley, Mr. Tanner?"

"See? I…I told you already nothing," he protested, but Devin could see he was hiding something. She continued to let Eddie push.

"I know you're lying. Your hands tell a story, and your eyes make me think you saw something in that alley. What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing!" Tanner roared as he sat forward in the bed. He then grabbed his head and flopped back down gasping. A nurse came in the room looking upset.

"You're going to have to leave now," she said curtly to Eddie. He nodded slowly, his eyes still on Tanner.

"We're not finished, Tanner, you've got some questions to answer and I think you're involved in the murder of that other body."

"I AM NOT!" Tanner howled and then his breathing began to become ragged. Devin stepped forward and gripped Eddie's shoulder as the nurse rushed to Tanner's side.

"Leave, now," the nurse said rudely as she went to work on Tanner. Devin steered Eddie towards the door and they walked from the room in silence. Devin's mind was still reeling from the conversation in the car and she kept stealing glances at Eddie. He seemed to be oblivious, or at least pretending to be.

They were back at the station before either one said anything and it was strictly the business of the case. Waiting on Eddie's desk was the report from the patrol men who found the body, and Devin added it neatly to the binder. She then looked at her partner for a moment.

"Something on your mind, kid?" He asked softly.

"We need to ID this body and find out who had motive to kill him."

"Yeah I was thinking that too. We've got nothing to go on right now, aside from a man who's been in a fight and was shot. That won't talk to us."

"And a dismembered body."

"Right."

"I can't help it, Eddie; I keep coming back to Eriksson. It was just so similar."

"Well you got that file in your desk right? Let's take a look, maybe we can figure something out from it."

They spent the next three hours poring over the Eriksson file. Devin couldn't shake the feeling that there was a connection, even if it wasn't Eriksson who had done the crime. He was still locked away, but maybe someone knew the details of his crimes and is copying. The entire time they were pouring over the case, part of Devin's mind was analyzing the man next to her. She couldn't help it now, not after what he had told her that morning.

It was her stomach that broke her concentration on the Eriksson file, the grumbling loud enough to garner Eddie's attention too. She was slightly embarrassed by that fact but she simply ducked her head when he raised an eyebrow in question. His hand came down lightly against hers and she looked up at him in question.

"Hungry by chance, kid?"

"Yeah," she replied with a slight laugh. "Guess we missed lunch with everything going on." She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was almost four in the afternoon.

"Yeah, come on. Bring the file we'll grab some fast food and work the case some more."

After settling into a booth at the burger joint down the road from the station they opened the file up again and began to share what they had. The conditions of the bodies were close to what they had found that morning.

"What are we looking at?" Devin asked slightly overwhelmed with the possibility of what they were seeing.

"Someone copying William James Eriksson and his evil ways," Eddie replied quietly as he studying the top of the table. He had been avoiding her glance all afternoon.

"We should talk to the people who worked Eriksson, who interviewed him. Maybe he had an accomplice that was never found, or fans that might have gotten information not released to the public."

"We've got the transcripts right here of the interviews, I don't see anywhere that he even hints at having help. He took pride in being a loner; I don't think he'd have worked with a partner."

"Someone knows, or we have two very sick people who think the same."

"The FBI handled most of the case, it's not going to be easy to get information from them without them swooping in and trying to take our crime scene."

"I'm sure we can talk to someone without them taking a hand in the investigation. There are notes in the case file of the Behavior Analysis Unit interviewing and working the case. Maybe I could just talk to one of them."

"Maybe. Let's work this a little more before we run to the FBI. What's that in the box there?"

Devin glanced down and noticed what Eddie was talking about. She picked it up and slowly inspected it. It was a tape, and the lettering on it read: Interview with W. J. Eriksson #23.

"Looks like a tape of an interview. Find the transcripts for interview number twenty-three," Devin replied glancing over at the stack. Eddie thumbed through them quickly and frowned.

"No number twenty-three. Let's head back to the station and listen to it."

"Yeah," Devin replied as she started to pack up the file. Eddie went and took care of the bill while Devin finished loading the box. They met at the front of the building and took the short walk back to the office.

They were at their desks, a tape player sitting on Eddie's, when he pushed the play button. Devin had settled back into her chair, closing her eyes to try and see Eriksson as he talked. As soon as the tape started playing Devin felt the fear choke her internally.

The voice had made her entire body start to shake with unbridled fear, her mind screaming at her to hide. She began to breathe heavy, coming close to hyperventilating. Then the images started to flash through her mind, making her eyes blink with horror. It was as if a movie had been switched on, jerking heavily as the reel caught and released.

She was eight years old; the fear was strong enough to weigh her down. Her breathing became ragged as she saw her mother, laying on the floor, eyes gaping, blood escaping from the multiple holes. Her father's voice screaming in a pitch much too high for him, begging for someone to stop.

Her brother holding his hand over her mouth as she wanted to scream, the fear so thick it was choking her. He left her, Dexter did. He told her to be quiet and left her. Dad made a screaming noise in her mind, and she let a whimper out. Loud noises pounded her ears and she sprung from the closet like a firecracker, charging into the living room.

Her father was sprawled against the couch, blood and brain matter spattered over the fabric, wall, and carpet. His hand clutched her mother's hand. Dexter was laying face down on the floor in front of him, eyes wide but dead. She screamed then, in her mind, in the present. Pain slammed into her where she had scars, engulfing her senses until she welcomed the darkness.

When Devin opened her eyes she felt someone kneeling underneath her. Her head was in someone's lap, and a hand was gently caressing her shoulder. Voices were coming from above her, but she couldn't make them out, the noise was garbled in her head. A loud buzzing was slowly subsiding and she opened her eyes to see Eddie looking down at her. The concern in his eyes was overwhelming to her and she took in a slow shaky breath.

"Devin?" He asked. The use of her name made her sure something bad had happened. She looked around and felt the pang of embarrassment as the entire department was staring at them. She tried to sit up but Eddie held her down. "Wait, the paramedics are coming to check you out."

"I don't need paramedics," Devin protested, wanting nothing more than to get up and disappear. "Let me up."

"You fainted, kid, took a spill."

"That would explain the pain in my head," she smiled weakly.

"But before you did, you…"

"What?" She asked, his hesitancy making her worry. "What happened?"

"When I turned on the tape you…you blanked out, then you started shaking, breathing hard, then you screamed, and finally you passed out. What's going on?"

Devin thought about that for a moment, the memory resurfacing in her mind. She gasped again and felt Eddie's arms come around her a little tighter. She swallowed hard, and in that moment knew she had to get out from in front of all those eyes. She was going to break down, and be damned if she was going to do it in front of all her co-workers. In front of Eddie was one thing, but everyone else, no way.

"Let me up," she said through gritted teeth and the pleading in her eyes made Eddie release her. She got to her feet and headed straight for the women's restroom, but that wasn't going to stop Eddie, he followed her right on inside.

Devin splashed water on her face and let it drip from her jaw. She heard someone grab paper towels and they appeared on her shoulder. She looked up in the mirror to see Eddie standing behind her, and she gave him a small smile. He was always there when she needed him.

"Want to tell me what happened?" Eddie asked slowly, his hands coming down on her shoulders after she took the paper towels and started to dry her face.

"The voice on the tape…it brought back…a memory."

"Eriksson? You knew Eriksson's voice?"

"Not Eriksson," she said weakly feeling like she was going to loose the contents of her stomach. "Not his voice, the other voice. The interviewer."

"The interviewer? I don't understand. His voice triggered something from your past?"

"How much do you know about my past, Eddie?"

"Just what you've shared. You were adopted after you became an orphan. Your parents died when you were eight, your grandparents when you were eleven. You went to live with a family friend named Nick Beck."

"My parents and my brother didn't just die when I was eight, they were murdered. And quite brutally at that," Devin replied the tears slipping slowly from her eyes.

"I had no idea," he said softly coming up closer behind her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she continued.

"I was also a victim of the murderer. I just happened to survive my wounds. They never caught the man who killed my family, Eddie, but mainly it was because I couldn't remember what happened. The doctor called it Psychogenic Amnesia. The trauma caused me to…forget…what happened to us. But that voice…he was in the house that day, Eddie, I'm sure of it. How could that be?"

"Devin, that was a member of the law enforcement community on that tape. Let's be very careful with this."

"I know, Eddie, I know…but what if my family was murdered by a cop?"


	4. Chapter 4

She leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes. His arms encircled her and his chin came to rest on top of her head. It felt so comfortable to be held that way. It melted the pain away, and made her believe she could cope with this new trauma in her life. But then everything crashed down, the comfort was too comfortable; he was married…at least for now. Then comfort became uncomfortable, and she tensed. She knew Eddie sensed the change, because he released his grip on her and took a step back, his hand lingering on her shoulder.

She took a moment to compose herself, closing her eyes and sealing off as much emotion as she could. When she was sure she could hold it in and look him in the eye, she opened them, using the mirror to stare at him. She sucked in a shaky breath and licked her lips, wiping quickly at the tear stains on her cheeks.

"Who was the interviewer?" Devin asked in as steady a voice as she could. The anger, pain, and sorrow were all building inside, but she pushed it all down and locked it away. Now was not the time she told herself, now was the time to find the bastard that killed them. She let the anger brew, knew it would fuel her drive to get the man. Eddie studied her in the mirror for a long moment before he answered.

"I don't remember him mentioning his name," Eddie replied.

"Let's listen to the tape again and see what we can learn from the interviewer," Devin continued as the anger made her resolve stronger.

"Whoa, you sure you want to do that?"

"You don't think I can handle this?" Devin shot back at him, the anger evident in her eyes. He swallowed and she could see the hurt in his eyes. She new she should apologize but she couldn't bring herself to step down.

"I didn't say that, kid," he said blowing out a breath and ducking his head. "Just that the first time you heard that tape it really did a number on you. I just want to make sure…"

"I'm fucking tough enough, Eddie," she spat out and instantly regretted it. He was only trying to help, truly concerned about her and she was taking her anger out on him. This time she did step back. "I'm sorry, that was…uncalled for."

"It's ok, kid, I understand," he replied in a voice so soft and caring that she felt the tears coming to her eyes again. He gave her a moment then he continued. "Talk to me about this, tell me what it brought back."

"I don't know if I can," she breathed out in a gasp. "I saw them die, Eddie, I saw my family die. I couldn't remember that, for so long I couldn't remember that."

"Just start…let it out. This anger and hurt is going to consume you. Talking might help you cope with what happened."

She was quiet for a long moment and he simply stood back, his arms crossed over his chest. She closed her eyes for a few seconds trying to erase the memories of her dead family, wishing she could go back to twenty minutes ago, but she knew it was never possible. The memory had been unlocked and now she had to face it. She finally began to speak.

"It was warm that day. I remember it being warm, we lived in Los Angeles. It was late I think, late at night. Dexter…my brother," she said having to pause as the words caught in her throat. She forced back the knot and continued. "Dexter was my older brother, just thirteen months older than me, but protective as hell. We were inseparable, Eddie, always together. Mom sent us up to get ready for bed, after we watched a movie…Fievel. Funny how clear it is now. Why so clear now?"

"The block is gone. The memory was always there, you mind just couldn't handle recalling it before now."

"I heard a knock at the door and thought it was kind of late for someone to be visiting, but sometimes Dad got late visitors. He was a cop, homicide detective in Hollywood Division," she stated before pausing briefly as a memory of her dad floated through her mind. She let a small smile slip over her lips before the brutal memory swept up again. She continued. "I brushed my teeth and Dex was already in the hallway when we heard shouting.

"Dexter said to get to my room, and I grabbed his shirt and asked him to come with me. I was really scared for some reason, but I don't remember what was said. I followed Dexter down the stairs, and when we were in the front hallway we heard the first shot.

"It was deafening, Eddie, like a bomb to my ears. Dexter shoved me back into the closet and he slipped the door shut behind us. I was trembling and Dex held my hand. Mom was screaming now, and Dad was yelling at someone. That voice…from the tape…he was there…I remember him asking my dad where it was, over and over, threatening and asking. But Dad wouldn't tell him, or couldn't, I don't know which.

"Then there were more shots and more yelling and screaming…and…and…I was so scared, and Dexter covered my mouth and whispered that I couldn't scream so the bad man wouldn't know where we were. I closed my eyes and cried and Dexter kept his hand over my mouth, but then more shots and Dexter left. He just left the closet and ran. I stayed where I was…for a moment, but then I heard more booms, more shots, and my father was screaming now…and I ran from the closet unable to contain my fear," Devin heaved out, the pain and fear overwhelming her.

Eddie stepped into her and tucked her into his chest, enclosing her in his arms. She cried against his shoulder and he stroked her hair and back. He had tears on his cheeks as well and Devin couldn't find her voice to continue, but she figured she didn't need to at the moment. She fought with the rampage in her mind and focused herself so she could finish. She pulled back from him so she could look him in the eye and continued.

"I saw my mom, holes in her, blood everywhere, my dad, half his head was gone, brain and skull and blood on the wall, carpet, couch, everywhere. Dexter…face down on the carpet, holes in his back and neck….all dead. And that's when I felt the bullets slam into me. They tore at me and spun me around, and I've never felt such pain and nothing at the same time. I never saw his face…but I knew his voice."

"I had no idea, Devin," Eddie replied as they stood toe to toe. She looked up at him, sniffling as the tears ran down her face.

"No one knows what I saw, or went through, they never did. You're the first person to know what happened in that house. No leads, no suspects, nothing."

"And you never heard the voice again until now?"

"No one's voice triggered my memory like that," Devin said with a shrug as she began to recover herself. "I've never been to their graves."

"What?"

"I've never been to their graves…my family…I could never…before…go."

"Do you want to go now?" Eddie asked, taking her hand in his. She looked at the connection and stared. She didn't know the answer to that but she felt like she needed to find an edge, or at least talk to Nick "Where were they buried, LA?"

"No," Devin replied while shaking her head at the same time. "Stillwater."

"Where is Stillwater?"

"Pennsylvania."

"How far from here?"

"About 4 hours, maybe less."

"And you've never been?"

"Couldn't face them," she said softly her eyes downcast. "But I think now…I think I need to go get my father's things, check the storage to see if he had case files…"

"Devin, you aren't going to work their murder…its twenty years old."

"I don't need your help. I got vacation time on the books I can take. I'll…"

"You'll need help."

"You need to save your marriage."

"It's already ruined."

"But you said…"

"She served me with papers yesterday," Eddie replied with a shrug. "She's done with me."

"I'm sorry, old timer."

"It's not your fault," he replied with a broad smile.

"But I feel…"

"No," he said softly as he stepped forward and dropped his hands on her shoulders. He waited until she looked up at him before he continued. "You did nothing. We were unhappy before I was teamed with you, and things happen. Don't you even dare feel a little responsible for this. I know it's hard on you, and with this memory and all it's been a bit of an overwhelming day, but I don't expect anything in return, ok?"

"But, Eddie, its not that I don't…"

"Shhh," he said stopping her words with a finger over her lips. She felt frustrated because she didn't know how she felt about him, but this changed everything. She didn't want it to change, or did she? Maybe she did want things to change, to grow. Maybe she had just pushed the feelings down because he wasn't available, he was taken, but not now…he was being freed. Maybe it was just what she'd always wanted, and in that she thought maybe she had subconsciously tempted him. Guilt wrapped around her and Eddie must have seen it spread across her face because he hugged her tightly. "It's not and never will be your fault, kid."

"I'm going back to Pennsylvania," she mumbled against his shoulder. Eddie let her go and she stepped back from him. "I'm going to go and see their graves, and I'm going to talk to someone who is holding some of their things. I couldn't take everything with me when I went to live with Beck, so a friend of the family held onto some things. I hope he still has them because I think what I'm looking for was left with him."

"What are you looking for?"

"My dad kept notebooks for his investigations. I want to look at what he was working on at the time of his murder. I want to know who he was working with."

"You'll need help."

"You're free to tag along, just don't try to stop me."

"I'm just as curious as you are," Eddie replied with a grin. Devin nodded and took a deep breath steadying herself. She glanced at her face in the mirror and sighed, turning to the sink, she splashed water on her face. It took away some of the redness and she dried off the drips before turning towards Eddie.

"Guess we need to let the Caption know we're taking some leave," Devin stated with a nod. Eddie nodded in return.

"I'll get our case handed off and clear our names from the roster. You go home and get packed, it's already after six, shift is over anyway. I'll meet you at your place in an hour."


	5. Chapter 5

Eddie had driven as they made their way to Stillwater. Devin had given him specific directions and after a short while had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. When she awoke, she had a kink in her neck and they were almost there. She looked at Eddie, but he seemed lost in thought so she remained quiet, thinking about all that had happened.

It was nearing midnight when they rolled into the parking lot of a motel in Stillwater. Eddie parked the car and got out securing them two rooms. Once they were settled Eddie knocked on her door lightly. She knew that he had only meant to get her attention if she was still awake and she debated whether or not to answer the door. When she did finally open it he was half way back to his room. He stopped and returned.

"Just wanted to make sure you were ok for the night," he said almost shyly. Devin smiled.

"I'm ok."

He nodded slowly as he studied her face. "I'm right next door if you need something."

"I know," she replied. She could see in his face he wanted something more, and he hesitated for a moment before he turned suddenly and went back into his own room. Devin watched until the door was closed before she closed, and locked, her own door. She flopped backwards onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Tomorrow was going to be a tidal wave of emotions, and she had to admit she was scared. She had not gone to the funerals. Her grandparents had whisked the bodies off to Stillwater as soon as they could, and buried them, while Devin was still in the hospital recovering. Maybe they wanted to spare her more trauma. She didn't know, and never got the chance to ask them.

When she finally did recover from her wounds, and her grandparents brought her home, things didn't get better either. It was less than two years later that her aunt and cousin had died, all but destroying her grandparents. Things for that final year were touchy and stressful to say the least and Devin had slipped further and further into the darkness of her mind as everyone seemed to forget about her.

When her grandmother died of a heart attack six months later, Devin was shoved aside as her grandfather grieved losing his entire family. Devin felt abandoned by him, she was still alive and he was treating her as if she was dead. She began to act out around town, getting into trouble, fights, being disrespectful to adults. Anything to get attention, to feel alive and not neglected.

But it didn't work, not with the person she wanted it to anyway. She got plenty of attention from the local police, and some of the people in the town, including Pops. That made her smile. He had taken an interest in her behavior and had tried to talk to her, but he wasn't her grandfather and she resented the fact that it took an outsider to see there was a deep issue. Her grandfather continued to ignore her. But five months after her grandmother passed, her grandfather had gone in his sleep. And she was an orphan. No one in town wanted her, her behavior something they didn't want to have to deal with, and again she felt abandoned. She had gone to Pops crying asking why he wouldn't take her in, living in the group home was hell. He had given her some answer but she didn't listen, as soon as she heard him say no the emotion and anger rose rapidly. She still didn't remember to this day why he said no…and she hadn't been back to see him since.

Enter Nicholas Beck. Devin had no idea who had contacted him, or where he came from, but he claimed to have known her father. Beck told her he had worked with her father while in the Marines, and he would take her to live with him. The adoption had become formal and her name changed from Devin Riley to Devin Beck overnight, and she moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland, starting a new life.

Nick had immediately started addressing her behavioral problems, taking her to see a shrink, which she had resented at first. But as she got to know Nick, and as her new life became the normal instead of the new, she started to come out of her errant ways. She started to feel a part of something again, and less abandoned, and eventually she came to see Nick as her family. He would never be her dad, but he would be her only family.

It took years before she was mentally settled again, but once it happened she excelled at school, got into a The University of Maryland, and studied Criminal Justice along with Forensics. Nick was a small time chief of Police in a small town on the bay in Maryland and Devin had grown up around cops, besides the fact that her father had been a detective in Los Angeles. Police work was all she knew, and she was going to excel in it.

And excel she did. Once out of Maryland she applied to the Baltimore Police Academy and was accepted. She graduated first in her class and became a Patrol Officer. She made a rapid decent up the latter, and landed in the Homicide department rather quickly. Her first partner had been Joseph Hillman, everyone called him Hilly. He had taught her so much about observation, and reading witnesses and suspects. Almost everything she knew that made her a good homicide detective had come from Hilly.

Her thoughts suddenly leaped to Eddie, and she sighed. What was she going to do? Everything had changed now, even if she didn't want it too. He was still Eddie, her best friend, her partner, and nothing he was doing had changed, but she noticed it more now. She should have seen it a long time ago, the touches, the concern in his eyes, everything was so telling now; she knew he really was in love with her. But how did she feel about him?

Confused, she thought. Utterly and completely confused, she thought in frustration. He was her best friend, the one person she confided in, the one person that she couldn't hide from. They could spend hours just sitting next to each other in silence and still be comfortable. His touch comforted her, soothed her, made her feel safe. He was handsome and she did feel a slight physical pull, but it was something she had shoved down so deep when they first met, and she had seen the wedding band on his left hand, that she never gave it a second thought. He had been taken, by some lucky woman.

He didn't think she felt anything for him, aside from deep friendship, and he was ok with that. He was ok with ending his marriage, and not getting her in return for ruining it, that made her wonder. How long would it take before he broke down and started pursuing her, and would she mind if he did?

Something inside her felt she wouldn't mind. Maybe if she let all the barricades come down, all the walls around her heart collapse, and simply look inside she'd find the answers, but she couldn't. Those walls of protection had been there so long, afraid to let anyone in, for fear they would abandon her, die, get murdered, that she couldn't tear the bricks down.

Or could she? Somehow Eddie had found himself a place in her heart, and she did confide in him. Even when she had other partners, Marcel Block on the street, replaced by Dorian Applegate, before she became a detective and was placed with Hilly, none of them were more than a riding mate, someone to watch her back in case of danger. She never talked to them about anything. Not one of them did she share her past with, talk to about personal stuff, connect with on some kind of level.

A smile spread slowly across her face as she memorized the pattern on the ceiling. It expanded until she was grinning. Who was she fooling, anyone that could get that deep, and cut through all the tape, walls, mortar, barb wire, and electrical fencing around her heart had to have something going. The more she thought the more she realized that she did have some kind of feeling for Eddie, and maybe it just might be, dare she say it…love.

He had said she served him with papers. It was official he was getting a divorce, and he didn't even think she had any kind of feeling, aside from friendship. He was willing to throw away fifteen years of marriage without a fight, and get nothing in return, except a small apartment, and joint custody of his kids.

Somehow that made her feel guilty, but he was right, she didn't openly pursue him, and they had never done anything to constitute cheating. She hadn't even caught on to his feelings, which she felt rather stupid about. Some detective she was. That made her laugh out loud as she sat up, scooted to the headboard and leaned against the pillows. She sighed again, she was tired of being alone in this world, of only having Nick Beck in her life.

She got up, glanced at the clock and frowned. It was almost three in the morning. No wonder she was feeling the pull of sleep, the exhaustion of the day catching up with her. After her interrupted sleep last night, and the investigative work done during the day, to the emotionally draining listening of the tape, she had expended a lot of energy. But still she felt she could not sleep.

Not after everything she had just realized. She needed to talk to him, and she needed to talk to him now. She got up from the bed, threw her hoodie on over her shoulders, and tugged both shoes onto her feet. Leaving her room she walked next door and lightly knocked on the door. Fear and uncertainty had crept into her during the short walk and her knock was meant to go unnoticed. He was asleep she told herself, and quickly turned and hurried towards her door. She had it opened and was about to slip back inside when she heard his voice.

"Need something?" He asked. Devin stopped, took a moment then looked at him. He was in shorts and a Baltimore PD t-shirt, standing leaning in the jamb of his doorway. She couldn't tell if she had awaken him or not, and could see he was concerned that she had knocked and then ran away.

"Just…thinking," she replied slowly before closing her own door and slowly coming up in front of him. He stared at her a brief moment before he stepped aside and motioned she join him in his room. She hesitated slightly before walking in out of the cold air, into the relatively warm room. She thought about sitting on the edge of the bed, but opted for the chair in the corner instead. Eddie came in and sat on the edge of his bed and stared at her, patiently waiting for her to tell him why she was there. When she didn't speak he broke the silence in the room.

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah," she said slowly trying to compose her mind. "Did a lot of thinking over the last three hours."

"About?"

"Well…a lot about my past, how everyone abandoned me…well except Nick. How everyone near and dear to me when I was eight was dead by the time I was eleven. And…you."

"How everyone abandoned you?" He replied, ignoring her last comment for the moment. Devin let it slide and thought a moment about what to tell him. Then she suddenly looked up at him.

"I woke you up…I'm sorry, this can…wait, I'll just…go back…"

"Stop," he said gently. She nodded slowly. "I wasn't asleep. But if you don't want to talk about it tonight I understand. If you want to go back to your room it's ok. You can wait until you're ready."

"Everyone left me," she said softly. Eddie sat very still and listened. "They all left me. My mom and dad…Dexter…my aunt…grandma and grandpa…everyone. Grandma and Grandpa left me before they even died. I was forgotten after…after everything else. It was as if they forgot I hadn't survived, that I had died in California with the rest of my family. And then no one wanted me. Do you know how hard that is for an eleven year old to understand? I know I wasn't exactly the poster child of good behavior, actually I was more like the poster child for the Juvie system but still…I just wanted someone to acknowledge me…love me.

"Then Beck showed up. He took me in, got me headed in the right direction, pushed me harder than anyone I ever knew. And it saved me. I owe my entire life to him, but I never learned to connect with people. Everyone was held at arm's length; never let them get too close. And no one did…for most of my life anyway. Besides Beck I had no one in my life that I would talk to, open up to, consider more than an acquaintance. Even my partners on the force were simply that…a tool to survive on the street. Someone to watch my back, but nothing more."

"All your partners?" He asked hesitantly and Devin looked up at him. She studied his eyes and saw the hope that she wasn't talking about him. No matter how many times he told her he didn't expect anything in return, she could see in his eyes right there that he desperately wished she would. But could she tell him that he was different? Yes.

"No," she simply stated dropping her eyes. Her hands slipped into the sleeves of her hoodie and she hugged herself tightly. She heard the bed creak but didn't look up. She heard his footfalls coming closer and still she didn't look up. His shadow loomed closer and closer, and yet she still didn't look up at him. She felt drained, she felt scared, and she felt a great sadness over everything that had happened. The day had caught her and she felt like she'd been hit by a truck, dragged a hundred feet then hit by a train. Her body ached, her mind shut down, her eyes were heavier than they had ever been.

Emotional trauma was worse than physical she decided, her mind oblivious to Eddie at the moment. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt something touch both her knees, letting out a startled gasp. She felt his hands tighten slightly as she looked up and saw the concern in his eyes.

"It's ok," he whispered softly. "You look wore out, kid." She nodded.

"I don't know when this happened, Eddie, because I didn't even know it had until about half an hour ago."

"I know. If Louise hadn't said anything to me five months ago I wouldn't have known either."

"How'd she peg it?"

"I stopped talking to her," he said simply with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

"It was her I used to open up too, it was her I used to talk to about everything, but I guess after spending time with you…it became you I went to. I don't know why, or how, it just happened that way. You replaced her in so many ways but I didn't know. She noticed because there was a change, I didn't notice, but when she accused me of being in love with someone else, I was flabbergasted at first. I asked her who she thought it was and when she said your name, everything hit me. I denied it at first, adamantly. You were my partner nothing more…but I started thinking about it more and more, and being next to you everyday I started to see what she saw."

"When did you realize she was right?"

"When I told you I was getting a divorce."

Devin nodded slowly, the exhaustion taking its toll on her. She wasn't going to be able to make it back to her room if she stayed much longer. But if she was truly honest with herself part of her didn't want to go back to her room. Then the voice echoed in her head: _he isn't divorced yet_. She sighed and tried to stand, but his hands on her knees kept her down. She looked at him questioningly.

"What?"

He stood and put his hand out to her. She took it and he tugged her to her feet. They paused a moment staring at each other, trying to read the other's eyes. Then he stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug. Her arms slowly came up around him, and they stood locked in an embrace. Devin's eyes closed and she leaned her face into his shoulder, her hands gripping his shirt.

"You should go back to your room and get some sleep," he whispered into her hair. She nodded slowly. He let go of her and she walked to the door, him right behind her. He watched from his doorway as she filed down the short path to her room, and let herself inside. As soon as she was close enough, she landed face first on the bed, and fell asleep within minutes.

* * *

**AN: Any guess who Devin is yet?**


	6. Chapter 6

It took her a while to find the family plots, but finally they had found them. She wasn't expecting the torrent of sorrow and emotion that had flooded her mind and body when she stepped in front of those stone markers, and was extremely glad Eddie was there to hold her up. She hadn't held back, let the emotions long kept hidden overflow and run free.

They spent an hour at the site, Devin alternating between tears and words, as she told Eddie about her family, mostly what she remembered of her mom, dad and brother…well mostly of her brother. It was Dexter that she missed the most, it was him that had made the biggest hole in her heart. Losing him was like losing a part of herself.

When they were back in the car and heading into town Devin thought about her next move. She needed to see Pops, needed to see if he kept some of her father's things. The box of notebooks was what she was after, that was what she would need to solve this thing. They had looked for the name of the interviewer on the tape and came up blank, so Devin wanted to go through her dad's notebooks to see who he was working with, or investigating around the time of his death.

"Head into town, Eddie," she said softly, hoping Pops still had his store. She wasn't sure how this reunion would go, if he would even remember her. When they pulled close to the store she smiled, it was still there. "Find a spot to park."

"Where we headed?"

"That store right there," she said as he turned the car off. She was out and walking towards it before Eddie had even located what she was talking about. She felt him come up beside her but she was focused.

When she walked through the door she stopped and looked around. Many memories flooded back to her, some good, some not so good. This was a piece of her past she had left behind when she started over in Maryland and it was proving slightly difficult to face it again. Then she saw him behind the counter checking someone out. She stopped, he was older now, his hair grey, but he hadn't really changed since she saw him last. She wondered if he would say the same about her…seventeen years was a long time. Would he recognize her?

Her question was answered when he looked up. His stare was hesitant at first, she looked familiar but then he looked like he'd seen a ghost. She walked closer unsure what to say to him. She could see him studying her face, a look of wonder in his eyes.

"Hey, Pops," she settled on with a nervous laugh. "Been a while."

"Devin?" He asked with caution. "Has to be, you look like your mother."

"I suppose I do," she replied softly.

"What are you doing here? I mean what brings you back to Stillwater?" He asked as his eyes landed on Eddie.

"This is Eddie, he's my partner. I'm a detective, Baltimore PD."

"A case bring you out here?"

"Sort of. I was wondering if you still had my dad's things, Jackson. I'm looking for his box of notebooks."

"Your dad's things? I'm sure they're somewhere around the house. Don't think I ever threw that stuff away, thought maybe someday you'd come back for it."

"I need those notebooks, if you still got them."

"What's this about?"

"I'm working on…a murder case, and those notebooks would help me."

"Notebooks from twenty years ago? Most of it pertains to California. How could a murder in Baltimore…"

"This isn't an active BPD case, Jackson, it's…I'm looking into the murder of my family."

"I see," he said softly. "You staying in town? Around here?"

"We've got rooms at the motel."

"Nonsense. Check out. I've got extra room."

"You don't have to do that, Pops," Devin replied quietly, but she couldn't hide the smile.

"Sure I do. Bring your stuff on by the house, still live the same place; you remember how to get there?"

"I think so."

"Good it's settled then. I'll meet you there when the store closes."

Devin had managed to find the house and the key Jackson had told her about. Eddie and her settled into rooms and were sitting at the table when he got back. He fixed them a dinner and they talked about what Devin had been up to the past seventeen years. He continued to look from Eddie to Devin and Devin got the impression he was trying to see where Eddie stood in her life. She had to smile, was it obvious to everyone else?

It was well after dark when there was a knock on the door. Jackson jumped up almost immediately and answered it. Devin laid her head down on the table, the past couple days still pulling at her. She heard two sets of footfalls coming back to the kitchen and looked up to see who was with Jackson and when she saw him her eyes dropped.

She hadn't expected to run into him. He wasn't supposed to be in Stillwater, she had checked. He was living in Washington DC now, what was he doing here. Then it hit her, Jackson must have called him earlier. But still, she didn't expect him to show up…didn't expect him to give a second thought to her. He hadn't when she was eleven, why would he now?

No one spoke and Devin couldn't bring herself to look at him. She didn't know if anyone else could feel the tension in the room, but it was heavy on her shoulders. All she wanted was to find the notebooks and go, catching up with Pops had been a bonus, but now it seemed imperative to leave. She wanted to get what she needed and head back to Baltimore. She felt a hand grip her shoulder and she glanced over to see Eddie question her with a look. He knew something was amiss.

"Devin," his voice rumbled at her. She looked up to see pain and sorrow lingering in his eyes as he stared at her.

"Uncle Leroy," she deadpanned at him. She could tell her tone had stung him and if she had to be honest with herself, she had gained some satisfaction from that. After all, he had wounded her the most…enough to never talk about him with anyone…not even Eddie.

"I know things are…strained…between us," he began as he moved to sit down. Devin stood abruptly and cut him off.

"Jackson, can I have the box of notebooks?"

Eddie stood next to her and gripped her elbow lightly. She looked at him and saw the worry in his eyes but she shook her head and looked back at Jackson. The older man's eyes were moving from his son to Devin and she had a feeling she wasn't going to just be handed the notebooks and allowed to leave. She let out a sigh and sat down, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

"What's going on, Devin?" He asked her and his voice had concern in it. She looked up into those blue eyes again wondering how far she could trust him. He had abandoned her in a time she needed someone the most.

"Some…new information…has come up and I need the notebooks."

"About your parents' murder?"

"Yeah, and Dexter too, don't forget about Dexter," she grit out. Again Eddie's hand touched her elbow and she took a deep breath.

"What new information?" Jackson asked.

"She remembered…" Eddie began but the look Devin gave him stopped his sentence. He tilted his head and stared at her. She could tell he didn't understand her hostility, especially after spending the entire afternoon and evening with Jackson. "Devin, what's going on?"

"It's me. She's still angry with me," Gibbs said with a sigh. "Devin, I can't tell you how sorry I am that I…couldn't take you. I was a mess…"

"You ever think we mighta healed each other?" She whispered. He nodded his head slowly, and she could see the pain in his eyes.

"But it was too late then. You were already settled with Nick Beck, and he told me how good you were doing. I didn't want to bring it back; I didn't want to drag you under. I'm sorry."

Devin looked up at him and saw the genuine apology in his eyes. She nodded; it did little to mend the ache, but enough for her to continue her quest. She had come for the notebooks after all.

"Yeah," she mumbled quietly.

"What's going on?" Gibbs asked leaning on the table. She sucked in a deep breath and told him about finding the Eriksson file, the tape, and what the tape brought back. She told him about how they couldn't identify the voice on the tape, and how she had remembered Jackson stored some of her dad's things for her. When she was finished it was very late. Gibbs sat back in his chair and rubbed a hand along his neck.

"You're really going to go after this voice?"

"Yes," she deadpanned at him, as if he was crazy for even asking. Gibbs looked at Eddie.

"And your part in all this?"

Eddie paused a moment, taken back by the hard stare. He then cleared his throat and replied. "Anything Devin needs from me."

Gibbs nodded slowly, his face unreadable. "Sounds like you might need some help."

"I just need the notebooks," Devin protested. Gibbs shook his head slowly.

"No, I think you're going to need some help. Let me help find who killed Duncan and Bridget. Don't you think this has hurt me too?"

"I figured you'd be too busy mourning your own loss to care about mine," Devin replied softly. Gibbs nodded in acknowledgement before he answered.

"Bridget was family too, Devin. It really tore your Aunt Shannon up to lose her sister like that. And to not know who did it."


	7. Chapter 7

It was late when Devin finally conceded to let Gibbs help her. Too late to look for the notebooks so they all retired. Jackson's house was a little crowded that night, but Devin and Eddie remained in their rooms, Gibbs adamant he could sleep on the couch.

Devin had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head landed on the pillow, but she was up before the sun in the morning. So much for a good night's sleep she mumbled to herself as she rose. Quietly she made her way to the kitchen and found some orange juice, poured herself a glass and sat at the table in the dark sipping the acidic liquid.

It wasn't very long before she heard shuffling feet in the living room. She remained still at the table in the dark, hoping whoever was moving about was simply going to the bathroom. But her luck wouldn't hold as the light in the kitchen snapped on, she blinked her eyes rapidly trying to adjust to the brightness.

He didn't see her right away; the only thing moving was her eyes. He was at the cupboard opening it before he looked at the table and stared. She could see the slight surprise in his eyes, but he hid it well, his face next to impossible for her to read. He grabbed the coffee and proceeded to fill the automatic coffee pot before he settled in the chair across from her.

"Morning," he said lightly, studying her face. She held his gaze, letting him know she was still angry.

"Morning to you too."

"I don't know what to say to you to mend the fence…"

"Then don't say anything at all," Devin replied coldly.

"I was not in a place in my life where I could take care of you…I was…drinking all the time, I was contemplating suicide," Gibbs said quietly, his gaze fixed on the table. Devin felt she had just been let in on the biggest second in the world. She had no idea how badly Shannon and Kelly's deaths had affected him because he had not been around afterwards. He had shut her out completely. "I've never told anyone that, not even Dad."

"I knew you took it hard, but don't you think I did too?"

"You were young, you had time to bounce back and rebuild. I…"

"You still haven't dealt with it; I can see it in your eyes."

"Yeah," Gibbs huffed. He toyed with the edge of the table cloth. "I tried…I even married three times since then."

"Three times?"

"Three divorces too," he said with a smile. Devin laughed.

"Really made a mess of things."

"Yeah, but you have to understand I couldn't provide stability when you needed it most. Nick…he provided that for you. I knew he would, and when I called him later, you were so settled and on the rebound that…I couldn't bring my pain back to you. I didn't want to drag you down under my pain."

"Wait…you called Nick?"

"I knew he would be able to care for you," Gibbs replied with a nod.

"You set that up? You sent him to get me?"

"Yes. He was very close to your father in the Corps. I knew he would…"

"I never knew that," she whispered. Gibbs simply nodded then got up as the coffee machine beeped. He poured himself a cup and then sat down again. Both were quiet for a while.

"You tried to kill yourself?" Devin asked suddenly. She watched as his eyes shifted to her, then ducked to the table top. His fingers toyed with the handle of his cup, and his eyes seemed to shift back and forth as if trying to come up with a worthy answer. She was sure he wasn't going to respond when he surprised her.

"Yes. When I finally got home they were already buried, gone. I thought about it and in my drunken haze there were a few times I contemplated eating my gun."

His voice was so soft and sincere that Devin knew he was serious. She had never considered that of him. She had always seen him as tough and tumble. He was a hardened Marine, a warrior that could stand up to anything, yet he had just admitted to wanting to eat a bullet. But he hadn't, and probably most of what she had seen in him was true, keeping him from eating that bullet. The thought was still there though, he had thought about it. That thought had never crossed her mind, though she was much younger, and it was different circumstances.

"By the time I got my act together Nick had you well on the way to recovery and I was still…trapped. I still am I'm afraid," he continued. His sigh made her look up at him. "I know how it must of felt, to lose everything, but I couldn't…you understand that right?"

Devin could feel the desperation in his voice; this meant a lot to him, that she understood why he abandoned her. She had always thought that had never given her a second thought, but it was obvious now that was not true, Nick simply hid it from her, at his request.

She nodded slowly, swallowing hard, trying to keep the tears at bay. Things were never as you saw them as a kid, there was always something else going on. He had simply done what he thought was best for her, even if she did think otherwise. Maybe he was right, maybe being with Nick, getting her head together, and getting an education was the best thing for her. Something suddenly dawned on her, he had known about her life. There were things that had happened over the course of her schooling that she didn't understand, and Nick would never elaborate. Most notably was when she was a junior at Maryland and Nick was strapped for cash, and her scholarship money was running out. She looked across the table at her uncle.

"Were you the one that gave Nick money for my schooling?"

He hesitated briefly before a grin crossed his face. "Yeah. He insisted on paying for it, since he had adopted you, but I knew he couldn't keep going, so…yeah, I gave him money."

Devin only nodded. Her view on things was shifting. She still had a lot of pent up anger, but she was beginning to understand why things had gone the way they had gone. In the only way he knew how, he had saved her. That made being mad at him difficult and she thought maybe over time they could rebuild their relationship. But then he changed the subject.

"Are you sure it's really a good idea to chase down this voice?" His voice was laced with concern and she could feel his eyes probing her. Her mouth twitched and she picked at the table top.

"You're not going to talk me out of this," she replied quietly.

"How do you plan to go about this?"

"I'm gonna work it like a case, like I do every day of my life with BPD," she replied a little harshly. Gibbs smiled softly and held up his hands.

"Easy, tiger. Not trying to knock your detective skills. Just want to know if you have a plan or if you're cowboying it."

"Eddie and I are quite capable of handling a murder investigation."

"Of course you are. Just remember the witnesses, the evidence, the case, all are twenty years old."

"Yeah," she said softly. "What do you expect me to do? You wanted to help so badly last night, so help."

"I plan on it. But first I have to check in with my team. The director left a message on my phone last night. He didn't leave much info, so I got to call in and see what's going on."

"If you have work I can work this on my own."

"Don't worry even if I have a case at NCIS I can hand it off to DiNozzo."

"I knew a DiNozzo once," Eddie's voice piped in as he came into the kitchen yawning. "Went to the academy together."

Devin watched Gibbs looked up at Eddie and the look in his eyes told her he knew something. Gibbs replied after a moment. "Anthony DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, that's the guy. Or at least I knew someone by that name. Guy loved movies."

"That sounds like Tony."

"You're man, he work homicide out of Baltimore?"

"As a matter of fact he did."

"Probably the same guy then."

Gibbs nodded. "You still haven't told me your plan."

"What plan?" Eddie asked.

"For the investigation. Where do you plan to start?"

"With the notebooks," Devin said with a hint of frustration. Gibbs nodded, but they were suddenly interrupted when his phone began to sing in his pocket. He palmed it out, glanced at the ID screen and frowned. Then he excused himself and left the kitchen to take the call. Eddie got himself a cup of coffee and sat down next to Devin.

"You doing ok?"

"Yes. I just want to find those notebooks and get started, all this sitting around, talking, its not helping find out who killed my family."

"Your uncle seems like he really wants to help, give him a chance?"

"If he doesn't get in my way," she replied lowly. Eddie gripped her shoulder lightly before he returned to his coffee cup. They both looked up when Gibbs came back in the room, and Devin noticed immediately that his demeanor had changed. He looked…grumpy.

"Somethin the matter?" She asked softly. He avoided looking at her as he downed the rest of his coffee and turned towards the door.

"Problem at HQ, I got to head back. Give me a number to reach you at and I'll call you when I get the chance."

"You don't have to; I can work this on my own."

"Not a chance. I'm not letting this get away again. I couldn't do it once, but I sure as hell am not giving up a second time. Number?"

Devin recited her cell number to him and he apologized once again for having to leave. He seemed genuinely pissed off that he had to hurry back to Washington. Devin and Eddie sat at the table for a few more minutes before Jackson came in for breakfast. After a quick meal, Devin and Eddie headed for the basement where Jackson told them her father's things were stored. They searched through boxes for almost two hours, Devin having to stop a few times as she was overcome with emotion, before they found what they were looking for.

Devin opened the lid to a box and stopped. Jackpot she thought as she saw the stacks of notebooks. She set the top down and ran her hand over the cardboard covers. There was a secret in those notebooks, something would tell her where to look first, she just knew it. Now she just had to find it.

"Eddie," she said to gain his attention. He came over and sat down next to her on the floor. His arm wrapped around her shoulders briefly, giving her the silent support she needed to continue. She knew now, no matter what happened, Eddie would always be there for her, and she felt warmed by that.

She picked up the first one and blew the dust off it. Flipping the cardboard cover open she saw her father's scribbles covering the entire sheet. His penmanship was small and concise, writing strictly in block lettering, all capitals, the first letter of each sentence just slightly larger than the rest. She stared for a moment, feeling a connection to her father she did not expect. He had written these words twenty years ago, notes on cases, thoughts about interviews, people he knew connected to the case, informants, everything that he was involved with. Those notebooks held it all; she just had to find what she was looking for.

She began to read, and Eddie picked up another notebook. She had no idea what order they went in, so they would just have to start from the top and work their way down. Something would jump out at them sooner or later, it just had too. The silence surrounding them in the basement took on an eerie feel to it, but she was so engrossed in her father's words she barely felt it.


	8. Chapter 8

When Gibbs arrived at headquarters he was in a foul mood. He had grabbed a coffee from down the road and now he was making his way off the elevator to the bullpen. McGee, DiNozzo, and Ziva were at their desks, talking about something or other. But his mind wasn't on them. He was angry he'd been called back in.

He pushed that down, he hadn't actually asked for time off, just simply left for Pennsylvania last night without a word to anyone, except Kate. He figured he wouldn't be needed since his team had closed a case and wasn't on call for the weekend. What was missing a Friday? He had left a message on the director's voicemail saying he wouldn't be in, but he figured that didn't mean much.

As he breezed through the desks, he noticed his team silence and watch him. Their eyes followed his progress. He also noticed Kate was standing next to Tony's desk but he didn't stop to say hi.

After their brush with Ari Haswari, Kate had taken some time off. The shot, meant for her head, had missed, clipping her neck and shoulder instead. She had been rushed to the hospital as Ari was taken out by another shooter, where she spent a week recovering. After being released she took a leave of absence, her spot on his team being filled by Ziva. When she finally did return almost a year later, she had been assigned to another team, under great protest from Gibbs.

In the end he had given in, not willing to give up anyone else from his team. It was actually Kate who had made him give in, promising him that he would still see her. They had spent some time together away from the office during her year off, their friendship growing in leaps and bounds away from the office.

He charged up the stairs, heading straight for Director Vance's office. Gibbs was irritated that the director had made him come back, he had tried to hand the case off over the phone, but Vance was adamant about Gibbs' return. Something was amiss. Gibbs walked in and Vance looked up motioning for Gibbs to sit.

"I'll stand, I'm not staying long," Gibbs said in a gruff voice. Vance cracked a brief smile before turning serious again.

"I need you on this case, Gibbs. I need my best to work it."

"DiNozzo is more than capable to handle this."

"It isn't like you to hand off a case, what's going on."

"Family emergency," Gibbs replied without emotion. Vance studied him.

"Your dad ok?"

Gibbs didn't answer him, simply stared at him with cold blue eyes. Vance stared back, but was the first to break the contest. Gibbs didn't blink even after Vance looked down at his desk.

"Case?"

"We have a dead marine found in Virginia," Vance began.

"So give it to someone else, or let DiNozzo take the lead."

"It's sensitive, Gibbs."

"DiNozzo can be sensitive," Gibbs replied causing Vance to smile again.

"On occasion. The dead marine is the son of a senator, Gibbs. I'm getting pressure from the top. I need my best team on it."

Gibbs sighed and shook his head. He closed his eyes and thought. He was still tired from the late night and early morning, and his mind was occupied with thoughts of Devin. He really wanted to be helping her, and to be honest, he wanted to try to keep her out of trouble as well. He thought quickly.

"I'll make DiNozzo run everything past me; I'll keep in contact with him by phone, check in regularly. He can lead it with McGee and Ziva as support. They can handle this on their own Leon. I need time off to handle a family situation."

"You're not going to tell me what this family emergency is, are you?"

"No," Gibbs deadpanned as if it were the only word in the world. Vance nodded slowly, thinking.

"How much time do you need?"

"Indefinite. Look my team…"

"This is something serious isn't it?"

"Would I be asking for time off if it weren't?" Gibbs asked exasperated. Vance cocked his head to the side contemplating that.

"No I guess you wouldn't. Do you need anything from NCIS? Help of any kind?"

"No," Gibbs replied with cool eyes. He wasn't about to give anything away. "DiNozzo, McGee, and Ziva are all quite capable of handling this case for you. I'll be back when I can be."

Gibbs didn't wait for an answer; he simply spun and left the room. Vance yelled after him but he ignored him, moving swiftly down the stairs. He was angry with himself; he shouldn't have even come back. The case was sensitive, but only in the fact that the parent was in a position to put pressure on the director. If it had been a fellow agent or impending terrorist attack…maybe, he might have stuck around. Now all he could think about was getting back to Stillwater and keeping Devin out of trouble, while hopefully finding who murdered her family.

He breezed by the desks on his way towards the elevator, and he noticed everyone stop what they were doing and look up at him. The curious looks floating around made him pause for a second, but then he continued to the elevator. He punched the button and waited for the car, feeling the eyes of his team on him. He turned to face them.

"DiNozzo," he barked making Tony jump slightly.

"Yeeeah, Boss?" Tony replied standing up.

"You're in charge until I get back," Gibbs replied.

"Alright," Tony said with a smile, but then it faltered. "Where you going, Boss?"

But Gibbs didn't answer him; he was too busy looking at the faces of the rest of his team. He knew they weren't all keen on Tony being in charge. His eyes settled on Kate, who was talking with Ziva, and he quickly averted his eyes, she would be able to tell something was wrong.

"Ziva, make sure Tony stays in line while in charge," Gibbs finally said as the elevator doors opened. He was about to step through when he turned to DiNozzo again. "DiNozzo, you know a guy named Eddie Miller from Baltimore PD?"

"Eddie Miller? Uhh, yeah knew a guy by that name a long time ago."

"What do you know about him?" Gibbs asked as the elevator doors swung shut.

"Good guy when I knew him. Why are you asking about Eddie Miller?" DiNozzo replied with a confused look.

"Was he trustworthy?" Gibbs asked watching Tony become even more confused.

"Uhh, yeah, I guess so; it was a long time ago, Boss."

Gibbs nodded and stabbed the button with his finger again. He turned to face the doors and waited. It didn't take long for the doors to swing open and he slipped inside, pressed the close doors button and stepped back.

As the doors were swinging shut he heard Vance yelling for DiNozzo, and saw Kate step into his line of sight, studying his eyes. She moved closer trying to beat the doors, but she didn't make it. He smiled as the doors finished closing and then closed his eyes.

Leaning against the back of the elevator Gibbs felt it start to descend. Everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours was running rampant through his mind. And it was all evoking memories he'd like to keep buried. Struggling with the flashes of emotion, he balled his hands into fists.

It was Kate that had knew something was up, but he figured she would. She had a way of reading him that he never understood, but she was usually right. He let out a long breath, swallowing hard at the end of it. It was going to be a long emotional roller coaster if he joined forces with Devin, and it was going to bring up his past that he so desperately hid from the people in his life.

Was he ready to be dragged through the trauma and sorrow of it all again? Could his heart handle digging into the lives of those he lost? He couldn't let Devin do it again, not this time. He had screwed that up once before, not that it was a disadvantage to Devin, but he still couldn't be there for her when she needed him. He had sent someone else to take his place, because he was too much of a coward to face the demon. He had been called a lot of things but no one had accused him of being a coward before…only himself in the silence of his own mind.

That's what it came down too, he was afraid of the emotional trauma it would cause him to have Devin around. She would remind him too much of Kelly, she would remind him too much of what he lost. But was that really an excuse to shove her from his life? At the time yes, he knew he was in no condition to care for a child, but to push her completely out of his life was wrong. He still should have visited her; maybe she could have helped him. Maybe she can help him now. The elevator reached the parking garage and Gibbs stepped out onto the concrete floor and looked around.

He was almost to his truck before he heard footfalls behind him. He knew it was her just by the sound of her feet but he didn't slow. He didn't know if he could explain to her why he wouldn't be able to tell her about what he was doing, not that she wouldn't understand. He was about to close the door to his truck when she appeared between it and the frame. Her hand gripped his arm to keep him from slamming it upon her and he looked over at her.

"Problem, Agent Todd?" He asked with a steady voice.

"What's going on, Gibbs?" She asked hesitantly. He could tell she was nervous about approaching him, but she was curious as hell as to why he was taking off.

"Something's come up. I'm taking a couple days off."

"You never take time off, Gibbs."

"This is different," he replied keeping everything he could possibly keep out of his eyes. He was as unreadable as he could make himself and he could see in her eyes that she was having trouble. He gave her a small smile. "I'll be back in a few days."

"Where are you going?"

"Out of town."

"Why?"

"Personal," Gibbs said his patience wearing thin. The slight growl in his voice made Kate mentally back up, he could see it in her eyes.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Nope, well yeah."

"What?"

"Keep DiNozzo in line for me," he replied with a smile. She smiled back and nodded. "Don't worry."

"I'm not, just curious. You never take time off."

"This is different."

Kate seemed to accept the fact she had gotten all she was going to get and she stepped back. She nodded and turned and left, leaving Gibbs to follow her with his eyes. He then slammed the door shut and fired up his truck, pulling out of NCIS and heading back to Stillwater, grumpier than ever that he had given in to Vance and come back for nothing.


	9. Chapter 9

Kate made her way back inside and up to the bullpen. Something about Gibbs attitude had got her dander up. Something was wrong with him, and he was desperately trying to avoid letting her in. The first thing she noticed when she was back by her old team was that DiNozzo was nowhere to be found. She turned to McGee.

"Where's Tony?" She asked scanning the bullpen area.

"Soon as Gibbs left, Director Vance called him up to his office," McGee replied with a shrug and a look of concern. "Do you know what's going on with Gibbs?"

"No," Kate stated absently as she watched DiNozzo emerge from Director Vance's office. "But I'm going to find out."

With that Kate walked towards the stairs, waiting for DiNozzo to come down. She studied his face and wondered what he had been told. He looked lost and confused, and a bit nervous. He was on the bottom step before she spoke.

"You alright, Tony?"

"Got a case. Senator's kid got himself killed."

"Where'd Gibbs go then? Shouldn't he be here for a case?"

Tony shrugged. "Director Vance said I was running point and that McGee and Ziva and I were to solve this case as quickly as possible. He said Gibbs took leave. That's all he said. Ziva, McGee, grab your gear, we're heading to Virginia."

Kate watched as the team scrambled and then left via the elevator, leaving her standing in the bullpen wondering what was going on. Gibbs never took time off, especially when there was a murder case to investigate. Something major had to have come up for him to walk out. She climbed the stairs quickly and knocked lightly on Director Vance's office door.

"Yes?" His voice sounded and Kate popped her head into his office.

"Can I have a moment?"

"Sure, Agent Todd, what can I do for you?"

Kate came all the way into his office and shut the door behind her. Stopping in front of his desk she opted to stand rather than sit. Crossing her arms over her chest she composed her thoughts and wondered how to begin.

"Can I ask about Agent Gibbs?"

"You can, but I can't guarantee an answer."

"Meaning you won't tell me?"

"I might not know the answer."

"Where'd did he go?"

"That I do know. He went to Stillwater on a family emergency. All I know, he wouldn't elaborate. Do you know something I don't?"

"No," Kate said thoughtfully. She hoped nothing was wrong. "Did he say how long he'd be gone?"

"No, Agent Todd, he did not," Vance replied before returning to his work. "Anything else I can do for you?"

Kate was quiet a moment as she thought about her next move. Then she decided to go for it. She could tell from the look on Vance's face he was a little shocked. "I need some time off."

"Pardon me?"

"I need some personal time off. I got about two weeks on the books. I'd like to use them now. I'm not currently assigned to a case or a team."

"Reason for your sudden leave?"

"Personal reasons," Kate replied with a shrug. Vance put his pen down and looked at her for a long moment. She could see the wheels turning in his mind.

"First Gibbs now you. Want to tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know, but I'd like to find out. I'll have my leave start immediately. I won't be gone longer than two weeks."

"Fine, I think we can get by with both of you gone. Do what you have to do, Agent Todd, and get back here."

She nodded at his statement and felt her dismissal in his tone. After leaving the office she went down to Tony's desk and wrote a short note explaining she was taking a leave of absence and would call him to tell him more later. That done she stood and glanced at Gibbs' desk.

She took in the scene and felt the pang of worry in her stomach. Something was wrong and he wouldn't share with her. She knew not to push him, she knew not to pry, and most likely this was personal for him, but she was still curious. Over the past two years they had grown closer in their friendship, but it was still just that a friendship. He was more open with her now than he was before, but still kept himself well guarded and very hidden. She felt a bond with him that she had never felt before and had being pondering where her feelings for the grumpy old bastard really stood.

Maybe it was time to insert herself into his life and see where she stood with him. She had to admit she was nervous about what she planned to do, but there was something telling her that he needed her, and that she shouldn't take his words at face value earlier.

She made the decision and headed home, packing a light bag and then printing directions to Stillwater Pennsylvania. She used the online Yellow Pages and found a Jackson Gibbs in Stillwater and copied down his address. She then shut down her apartment and headed out the door for the drive to Stillwater.

The drive was pleasant enough, but Kate wasn't paying attention to the scenery. Her mind was fixed on Gibbs and what this family emergency was about. She had heard all about it from Tony when the team had returned from Stillwater, Gibbs' hometown not long ago, and knew Gibbs' father lived there.

Was his father ill? Was he in danger? She had no idea. Or did he have other family that no one knew about? Questions bounced and swirled around in her mind. When she was half way there she started to have second thoughts, enough of them to actually pull over at a rest stop and think about what she was doing.

What if he got angry she was prying into his personal life? What was she doing anyway, he had told her to stay out of it. That feeling in the back of her mind surfaced again and she couldn't shake it. He might need her…maybe. Frustrated with her inability to make a decision she threw the car in gear again and resumed her course. If he didn't want her there he would rant and rave and throw her out. She'd come home and take a few days vacation.


	10. Chapter 10

Devin rubbed at her blurry eyes and let out a sigh. She had read two…no three…notebooks from the box and her eyes were tired. She looked over at Eddie who had another one of the notebooks in his head, totally engrossed. She counted his stack, he was also on his third, how many more were there?

This was definitely more than she had expected. She glanced in the box and counted ten more notebooks and felt like screaming. She shook her head and stood, stretching the kinks out of her back and neck. The loud popping noises got Eddie's attention and earned her a wince.

"Need a break?"

"No just more comfortable reading arrangements. This cement floor is fucking hard."

Eddie grinned at the statement and shrugged. "Eh, not too bad, just gotta know how to sit it."

"This your marine self speaking again? Comfortable anywhere?"

"You kids are just spoiled," he said with a grin and then lifted gracefully to his feet. He squatted down and gathered the read notebooks and handed the stack to Devin before scooping up the box. "Lead the way, kid."

Devin smiled and nodded, heading up the stairs and back into the living quarters of the house. Eddie kicked the basement door shut as Devin headed to the couch. She flopped down and tossed the read notebooks on the coffee table and waited for Eddie to settle in next to her. He set the box on the floor between them and grabbed another book. Devin picked up number four and flipped the cover open. Just as she was starting to read Eddie spoke.

"You find _anything_ of use yet?"

"Not really," Devin replied with a sigh. "There just so much here, but it's not in any order, at least not that I can tell. He didn't date anything, just kind of wrote continuously."

"Well someone else put these in the box; remember that, he probably had a system that had them organized."

"I just know there was something going on when he was killed. The man was asking for something. He wanted something tangible from my dad. I can't remember what it was but I remember him asking."

"But your dad didn't give it up, not even to save his family…maybe he didn't have what the man thought he had."

"He had to have come across something; the man who murdered my family had to have reason to believe my dad had something he wanted."

"Maybe, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe your dad really didn't have what he wanted."

"That's too hard to believe, Eddie," Devin whispered close to tears. "That would mean they were killed for nothing."

She felt him shift closer and his arm wrap around her shoulders. She leaned into him as she contemplated that. She closed her eyes as his hand made soothing gestures on her shoulder and felt herself slipping into sleep. She sat up suddenly and pulled away, not ready to give up the search just yet.

"No, something in these will give us direction. I just need to know what he was working on when he was killed."

"Have you thought about contacting his old partner? Maybe he could shed…"

"John died six years ago."

"Oh," Eddie replied softly. "We could contact someone else that was close to your dad, maybe working with him."

"I have no names, nowhere to start," Devin replied with a frustrated sigh. "These notebooks, they hold the clue I know it."

"Then let's keep reading," Eddie replied opening up one. Devin pulled the one in her hand up and began to read. Hours had passed as they cruised through her dad's thoughts and feelings on cases, co-workers, and suspects. A couple of times she had to put the words down and calm her insides. She had not been prepared for the emotional toll reading her father's words would bring to her.

She could feel Eddie watching her from time to time, and every time she glanced at him she could see the concern in his eyes. She knew she had a rock to lean on with Eddie along and somehow that made it all easier. They were a third from the end of the notebooks when the door opened and someone came inside. Devin thought it was Jackson returning home from the store, but the footfalls were wrong.

She got up from the couch and made her way to the hallway. When she rounded the corner she saw Gibbs standing by the closet hanging up his coat. He looked pissed off and Devin wondered what had happened in Washington. She hesitated a moment before speaking.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah," he gruffed at her and she nodded, the fatigue of reading all day pulling at her.

"You look unhappy," she replied with a shrug.

"I've been driving all day," he said with a nod.

"We've been going through the notebooks."

"Find anything yet?"

"No, but we got a couple more to go. They aren't in any order in the box, and we're still piecing them together."

"There were a lot of them?"

"Yes. He wrote down everything. Something has to point us in the right direction. That voice…he had to be in law enforcement. My dad had to have a connection to him."

"We'll find the connection," Gibbs said with conviction, Devin nodded. "We'll find out who did this."

"Now that the memory is unlocked it keeps coming back. I don't know what's worse, not knowing all these years, or reliving it."

"It will calm down, your mind is just trying to work through it, find all the details, figure out who that man is."

"Yeah."

They both looked up when the door opened again and Jackson came in. He hung up his coat and looked at the tired faces. He then nodded and proceeded directly to the kitchen. Devin and Gibbs walked back to the living room and joined Eddie, Devin sitting on the couch next to him and Gibbs sliding into the chair opposite.

"What have we learned so far?" Gibbs asked as he looked at the piles of notebooks tossed on the table. He leaned forward and glanced down in the box, there was one left in the box.

"That Duncan Riley kept very good notes on his cases," Eddie replied with admiration. "He recorded his thoughts on everything, from evidence, to suspects, to the families of the victims. He made an emotional connection on each and every case, and put himself in the vice to catch the bad guys."

"He was a good man, always looking out for those who couldn't look out for themselves," Gibbs said softly. His eyes caught Devin's and she looked away. "Anything pointing us towards a suspect?"

"There are plenty of suspects that would want my dad dead, but nothing to suggest someone in law enforcement. At least no one that my dad suspected. He made comments about other cops he disliked, or thought were screw-ups, but nothing suspicious of murder."

"I guess we keep digging then," Gibbs replied as he picked up one of the notebooks off the table. Devin reached into the box and pulled the last one from the box letting out a sigh as she did so. This was the last one, there had to be something in here. She flipped the cover over and began reading, as the air around her began to smell like supper.

She was half way through the last notebook when Jackson called everyone to dinner. He had cooked a nice chicken with mashed potatoes and garlic bread. The four of them sat down around the table and started to dish up plates, the quiet dragging on the mood.

"So did we make progress today?" Jackson asked as he started to eat. Devin looked at Eddie first then Gibbs, but neither seemed to want to field the question.

"Not yet, but we're not done reading the notebooks yet. Almost done," Devin replied.

"I'm sure you'll find something," Jackson replied as he stuffed another forkful in his mouth.

"This is delicious, Pops, thank you for dinner," Devin replied with a grin.

"Least I could do," he replied. All four looked up as they heard a knock on the door. Devin rose to her feet quickly.

"I'll get it," she said then walked off and opened the front door. She was surprised to see a woman with brunette hair standing nervously on the porch. Her back was too Devin when she opened the door, but he woman quickly turned when she heard the door open. Devin could see the slight surprise on her face when she saw Devin standing there.

"Help you?"

"I'm looking for the Gibbs residence."

"You found it. You want senior or junior Gibbs?" Devin asked. The look on the other woman's face made Devin smile. "Jackson or…"

"Ah, Jethro Gibbs."

"Come on in, we're just sitting down to dinner," Devin replied stepping back and allowing the woman to come in.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," she said shyly and Devin shrugged.

"Not that big a deal, I'm sure there's plenty. Come on in and eat with us. Everyone is in the kitchen."

"Thank you."

Devin came in first and all three men looked up at her curiously. When the woman followed in behind her Devin saw the look on Gibbs' face change to one of confusion then anger and wondered who this woman was and why her being here had changed his mood so quickly. He rose from his chair and the woman stopped in the doorway. Gibbs pointed to the living room and she followed him without hesitation, and Devin sat down looking at Jackson who simply shrugged and continued eating. Devin decided it was better to finish dinner than interrupt, especially after seeing the look on his face, so she forked more chicken into her mouth and settled in to wait.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Sorry gang, I know I was cooking on this and dont worry I havent lost it...just no time to write at the moment. 14 hour work days are kicking my butt right now, but I will try to find time to plow through the next couple chapters. Still got the story in my head. Here's chapter 11...an early christmas present :-) Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. dark rolling sea.**

* * *

Gibbs was furious. What was she doing here? Why had she followed him? They walked into the living room away from the others and he stood, hands at his sides, staring at her. His glare focused his anger and he could see in her face she was uneasy about her decision. There was something there though in her eyes, as she stared back at him. His jaw was clenched as he spoke to her in a harsh whisper.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you and…"

"How'd you find me?"

"Gibbs, I worked for you. Don't you think I'd be good enough at my job to track you down?"

His resolve and anger broke for a second as pride seeped through, but he pushed it back down and the anger resurfaced. He shook his head at her, trying to decide what to tell her.

"This isn't an affair of yours."

"I just thought you looked…"

"Looked what?" He gritted.

She paused, unsure why he was so angry at her, wondering if coming here had been a big mistake, maybe damaging to their friendship. But then she felt her courage surface. No matter how gruff and stern he was on the outside, she knew his bark was always nastier than his bite, at least with her. She stepped closer to him and laid her hand on his elbow.

"When you talked to me in the parking lot there was something in your eyes that made me worry about you. I know you keep yourself hidden. I know even after these last two years of our friendship growing, you still won't open up to me, but there was something there, and it made me chase you down. I don't know what you're doing here, or what your family emergency is, but there was something…something told me you didn't really want to be alone."

"I'm not alone," Gibbs sighed out as his anger began to subside. He was now upset that he hadn't been able to hide from her. Although he had known he couldn't, it still burned him that she could read him so well. There had been one other person that could read him so well, but he pushed that down as well.

"I didn't mean…I just thought if there was something wrong you would want…" Kate stumbled over her words and he could see in her eyes that she was aggravated with herself for not being able to communicate.

"No one is sick, or dying, or in danger of dying," Gibbs replied shaking his head. "So you can go home now."

"What's going on, Gibbs?"

He thought about her question, his gaze drifting towards the kitchen. Part of him wanted to tell her everything, but the stronger more dominate part wanted to keep hidden. The less he gave of himself, the further away he could keep people from his heart, the less they could hurt him when they left. Self preservation was his game, and he was good at it.

"Something that doesn't involve you," he replied quietly his face remaining stony. He could see the frustration and hurt growing in her eyes and it pained him. He had waged an internal battle for two years as he grew closer to Kate Todd, knowing that the day would come that either he would shatter her, or she would shatter him. Maybe it was better this way, to push her away and shatter the illusion now.

Movement in the doorway caught his attention and he glanced up to see Devin standing watching them. He shot a glare and motioned for her to leave them alone but she didn't move. Now he had two women who were defiant, great. He let out a frustrated sigh and sat down on the couch with a grumble. Kate looked over at Devin who was staring at him.

"What?" He barked harshly at Devin. She smiled and walked in the room a few steps.

"Doesn't work on me, Gunny," she replied softly. "I work with bastards all day long."

"I resent that," Eddie said from the doorway. Devin glanced over her shoulder and Gibbs shook his head.

"This isn't any of Agent Todd's business," Gibbs continued.

"Maybe she can help. She works for you right? She investigates crimes?" Devin continued.

"She doesn't work for me, not anymore."

"But she still investigates crimes. So she could be of help."

"Help in what?" Kate asked. Gibbs could see her confusion. He sighed and stared at Devin for a long moment. She returned his gaze with the same intensity and knew he was in a losing battle. When had he lost control over the situation? Had he ever had control in the first place? No, probably not. They had allowed him to believe so, but he knew now he never really had a choice when Kate showed up.

"Nothing," Gibbs threw out haphazardly. Devin smiled and looked at Kate.

"You have experience investigating murders?" Devin asked and ignored the warning look Gibbs gave her. He knew he was beaten, so he stood up and took control of the situation. He noticed that his father had joined them as well and he took in a deep breath through his nose before speaking.

"We're looking into the murder of Devin's family, twenty years ago," Gibbs replied. "New evidence came to light and she asked for my help."

"I didn't ask for your help," Devin replied defensively. "I just wanted the notebooks, you volunteered your help."

"I'd like to volunteer too," Kate replied looking from Devin to Gibbs. He could tell she was trying to make a connection between him and Devin. He would keep her in the dark for as long as possible, as long as Devin cooperated in that aspect. As Devin looked from him to Kate he noticed that there was something in her eye that made him nervous. He got the feeling there was something more than Devin simply wanting an extra pair or hands on the case.

He thought about it quickly, wondering why Devin hadn't protested another joining, when she had been adamant when Gibbs tried to step in. Of course he had history with Devin, and that caused a rift, but she simply accepted Kate being a part of this…yes there was definitely something else going on in his young niece's head.

"Let's finish dinner," Gibbs replied with a sigh, as he rubbed a hand to the back of his neck. They slowly filed back to the kitchen and sat down, Jackson finding another chair, and pulling another plate down for Kate.

Gibbs was quiet through the rest of dinner, but the rest of them were not. Devin asked Kate all kinds of questions about herself, and Gibbs got the feeling there was more than just getting a sense of who she was working with. Kate was a good sport though, and seemed to enjoy answering the questions about herself. And if Gibbs was totally honest with himself…he enjoyed listening to Kate talk about herself.

Once dinner was done and Jackson assured everyone that it was not a big deal for him to clean up, they moved to the living room. Devin immediately picked up the final notebook and flopped heavily to the couch reading it again. Gibbs picked up one that he had been reading earlier and found his spot, looking up at Kate as he sat in the chair.

"These are Duncan Riley's case notebooks. We're looking for a connection to a case he was working on right before his death," Gibbs explained. "Help yourself to the stack if you want to get to know the victim."

"One of," Devin replied quietly as she read. Gibbs couldn't help but look up at her. He studied her face, seeing the weight this was putting on her. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop her; the best he could offer was to help her…to keep an eye on her. He made a promise to himself, he wouldn't let her get consumed, he wouldn't let this destroy her. And he wouldn't walk away from her ever again. Maybe this was what they both needed; maybe they would help heal each other.

The room lapsed into silence then and Kate picked up a notebook and started to leaf through it. Gibbs returned his attention to what he was reading and lost track of time. He didn't know how long had passed before he heard Devin break the silence once again.

"I think…I think I got something. This might be the notebook right before he died," she said looking up. The torment and pain in her eyes hit Gibbs hard and he put the notebook in his hands down. He got up and walked over to the couch, coming to a stop next to the arm. Devin looked up at him then handed him the pages.

Gibbs skimmed the page looking for what she had seen. It was towards the bottom of the page she was reading, a case that had taken a toll on Duncan according to the notes. He had been assigned a case where a mutilated body had been found, decapitated and dismembered. They had no identification on the body when the notes had been written and Duncan was having trouble with the nature of the crime.

"Eddie, the body was beheaded and dismembered. It was left in an ally. They couldn't ID it," Devin was saying. Gibbs looked down at her confused.

"This means something to you?" He asked.

"We handed off a case like that when we left. It's why Devin heard the tape, it's why she remembered, it's why we're here," Eddie replied scooting closer to Devin. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Too similar to be coincidence," Devin whispered.

Gibbs continued reading, flipping the pages as he went. Looking for a name, anything to tell him who Duncan was working with, or if anything ever came of the body. He came across a couple names in the book.

"Who was John?" Gibbs asked.

"Dad's partner was John Kaine," Devin replied with a sigh. Gibbs nodded.

"Says here John was suspicious of someone named Drogan."

"I don't know a Drogan," Devin replied looking up.

Gibbs nodded again and continued reading. "Doesn't seem like your dad suspected Drogan of anything though. Says here 'I don't fit Drogan like John does. I don't think he's capable of the degree of brutality that the victim experienced. Drogan is a small time killer, we've got him on three bodies, but this one doesn't quite fit for him. Having hard time convincing John.' Seems they were split."

"Does it say who he thought killed their victim?" Kate asked.

Gibbs skimmed more of the notes. "Ah, doesn't look like it, but they got help. Says, 'Jordan called in Feds today on the John Doe case. No ID has been tough. Who cuts off fingers and the head? Got saddled with a fucking a-hole named Jefferson. One of those long pedigreed FBI agents, three generations or some shit like that.' I don't think he liked Jefferson."

"That's kind of funny though," Devin replied with a small smile.

"What's funny about that?" Eddie asked.

"Duncan was fifth generation cop," Gibbs replied a smile on his lips again.

"I didn't know you were sixth generation," Eddie replied. Devin shrugged. "That's goes back a long way."

"Kinda like you and the Marines, Eddie," Devin replied with a smile. Gibbs looked at the younger man a moment before returning his attention to the book.

"So we need to track down this Drogan, a Jordan who I'm assuming was Captain of Homicide at the time, John Kaine, and Agent Jefferson."

"Kaine died six years ago, scratch him off the list," Devin replied. "I don't remember a Jordan, but Dad didn't talk much at home though."

"We can contact LAPD and find out who Jordan is," Eddie replied.

"Gibbs, you can call Fornell to look into Agent Jefferson," Kate answered. Gibbs nodded and continued to read.

"The notebook stops. They didn't solve the case. All it says is, 'Feds agree with John and are pinning this on Drogan. Doesn't fit, but I'm outnumbered. Something off about Jefferson lately, cant pin it down.' It stops there. Eddie, when you contact LAPD to ask about Jordon ask about Drogan and this case Duncan was working on. Find out who else was working Homicide then and see if anyone remembers," Gibbs stated. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

"You think one of those killed my family?"

"Hard to tell if it had anything to do with it at this point," Gibbs replied. "All we can do is check them out and see what was going on twenty years ago. It's going to be hard, all these years later."

"Time will tell," Devin replied dropping her head into her hands. Gibbs watched the two on the couch and wondered how close those two partners were. Eddie was holding her tightly to him, rubbing a hand down her back. Devin leaned over and settled her head against his shoulder. He couldn't help but notice the wedding ring on Eddie's hand, and wondered who he was more loyal to. He decided to keep his observations to himself for now.


	12. Chapter 12

It was too late by the time they made the discoveries to start with phone calls so they decided to wait until tomorrow. New sleeping arraignments were made, as Kate and Devin were given the two rooms while Gibbs took the couch again and Eddie was adamant the recliner would be fine for him.

Devin retreated to her room and sat down on the bed to deal with her memories and feelings. It had been rough for her to read all those notebooks, to get inside her dead father's head, feel his emotions, think his thoughts, see his mind work. It only made her miss him more. She had fought hard to keep it together in front of everyone else, not wanting to appear weak at the get go, but it had drained her completely.

Her mind was running on high gear, swirling around everything that she had assimilated in the past twenty four hours, and it made her stomach churn, and her head hurt. She closed her eyes and stretched her neck, trying to slow things down, but her mind continued to push through the information and emotion.

Devin flopped back heavily, her back bouncing off the mattress a couple times before her body stilled. She hoped she was strong enough to make it through the whirlwind that was about to start. She knew now that it was going to be a tooth and nail fight to the end, that she would have to endure more psychological trauma the closer and closer they came to finding her family's killer.

Was she ready? Could she handle opening up all those wounds, facing the man that shot her family? She didn't know, and couldn't answer the questions. She felt the first of the tears slip down her cheeks and she hurriedly brushed at them with the sleeve of her hoodie. She hated it when she felt weak, and crying had always made her feel weak. But she couldn't stop the downpour as the dam broke and the emotions of the last few days overwhelmed her.

In her breakdown she didn't hear the soft knock on the door. In her quiet sobbing she didn't hear the door open slightly. And in her musing she didn't notice the man come up to the bedside next to her. In all that she missed, when he touched her arm she nearly jumped out of her skin. Stifling a startled yelp, she glared at Eddie for scaring her. He gave her a sheepish grin before laying a soft hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry," he said softly.

"You and your damn Marine skills," Devin said in a rush of breath.

"Helps save your life in the bush," Eddie replied with a shrug.

"I'm not in the bush, old man, I'm in a house."

"Old habits die hard. You ok?"

"Do I _look_ ok?"

"No, I guess you don't," he replied brushing at the tear stains on her cheeks with his thumb. "I wondered if you could handle the…"

"It's so much, Eddie, just so much," she whispered as she closed her eyes and draped her arm over them. "Reading those notebooks, getting inside his head like that…it was like he was sitting next to me again."

"He certainly put it all on paper. I never thought about doing that before, I just…"

"You talk about it," Devin replied, the arm covering her eyes finding its way around his shoulder to his back. "You say it out loud."

"And how do you deal with it all?" He asked her, his thumb rubbing her shoulder. She looked at him, not hiding the haunting look in her eyes. He immediately pulled her off the bed and into an embrace.

"I don't."

"Talk to me, kid," he whispered into her hair as he held her tightly. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she buried her face into his shoulder. The tears fell from her eyes uncontrolled.

They stayed, locked together, for a long time as Devin let all the emotion out. Eddie remained quiet, his hands slowly rubbing her back as he held her tightly. Devin had never broken down with a person like she did just now, she had never let the weakness win, but for some reason with Eddie she knew it didn't matter.

She nearly melted when she felt his lips just below her ear, pressed lightly for a split second before pulled back. She pressed herself closer to his neck, inhaling deeply as she worked to calm her frayed nerves. Devin felt as if she could remain in this position forever and wondered where the feelings were coming from. She searched her mind and mentally stumbled when she realized, it was always there, the wall had simply been removed now.

She pulled back slightly, resting the side of her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. His eyes shone back at her filled with concern and so much more. There was no barrier between them now, silent communication raging between them. She watched as he bent down slowly, his lips coming into brief contact with hers, before pulling back slightly. Devin remained still as Eddie searched her eyes, asking permission. She licked her lips and sucked in a deep breath as his hand came up to cup her face. She paused, taken a back for a moment, as his ring came in contact with her cheek.

She touched his finger, and looked down; he was still married she reminded herself. Eddie seemed to understand, pulling himself back breaking all contact with her. She immediately felt the loss, but steeled her heart against the rush of emotion and sat back against the head board of the bed. Eddie kept his distance, but she could still see the desire in his eyes as he sat on the end of the bed. She shook her head, eyes filled with tears threatening to spill. He nodded slowly, understanding as his eyes dropped to his hand. He reached up with his right hand and slipped the ring from his finger, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger.

"I've already signed the papers, kid, no going back now. I can see…"

"Shh," Devin whispered as she fought the tears.

"I can wait. I know you feel the same, but I can wait. It's ok. Take your time. Right now we need to focus on the case."

"Why'd you come in here?" Devin asked slightly confused. Eddie shrugged.

"Wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I am…now."

"Good, I guess I'll see you in the morning then," he replied, hesitant to get up. Devin gave him a smile, causing him to nod and rise at the same time. He slowly made his way out the door, closing it softly behind him. Devin let out a deep breath and leaned back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. They would definitely have to talk soon, things were building and she knew she couldn't hold it off forever.

He was getting divorced; he had signed the papers, which basically made it official. And he had just taken off the ring. She groaned in frustration and closed her eyes; it was going to be a long night. Her mind was racing, tripping, and jumbled over everything that had happened and she new it would exhaust her.

Two things kept tangling themselves in her mind, both fighting to be forefront, her father's thoughts, and Eddie. She decided to focus solely on her father's thoughts of the final case, and try to see a way into what was going on. It wasn't really enough information to go on, but maybe tomorrow they could find someone who knew what was going on.

They had pinned a murder on someone that Duncan had believed was innocent, of that crime anyway, and his father had had suspicion of an FBI agent. But were the suspicions just lack of competency? Or something more. That she didn't know. Then there was Jordan, if he was still around, and then anyone else who might have been working Homicide twenty years ago. It was a long time, and many wouldn't be around that had worked the case, or were even working when the case happened. She blew out a breath and shook her head.

She needed to stop thinking if she was going to get some sleep tonight. But her mind drifted to Eddie, and she found she couldn't stop. She flipped to her side and closed her eyes, pulling the blankets tighter around her. _Just stop thinking and get some sleep_, she thought. Slowly she managed to slow down her mind, stopping the train wreck one car at a time, placing them neatly off to the side of the track, waiting for her in the morning. Slowly she drifted off to sleep, her mind still spinning in the carnage.

_She was surrounded by darkness, completely disoriented. She turned, around and around, trying to determine where she was. Noises, she could hear noises, what was making that sound? A voice…from the darkness, whose voice was that? Suddenly she was blinded; bright light flooded her vision, making it near impossible to see._

_Stunned, she shielded her eyes. Her arm blocking some of the light, but not all of it. She couldn't decide if the darkness or blinding light was worse. She squatted down, below the beam, and could see more. Slats, the door had slats in them. How had the light come through the door like that?_

_It didn't matter; there were voices on the other side, loud voices. Someone was yelling, someone screaming, someone pleading. A sickening whimpering was coming from somewhere close. It made her stomach turn, then she realized it was her making the noise. She sucked in air, trying to calm her frazzled nerves, racing mind, and shattered courage._

_Where was she? Who was on the other side of the door? Why were they yelling? Only one way to find out. She shoved forward, throwing her forearm against the slats. They splintered, shattering under her weight. The light was gone, only the hallway was plain. Where was she?_

_The house in California she suddenly realized. She was standing in California. Fear gripped her. She could hear her father shouting now, pleading, begging…it was a noise she would not soon forget. It made her sick, angry, and terrified all at the same time. Her father should never have sounded so weak. _

_Rounding a corner, the people were on the other side of the room. Her father sitting on the floor, holding her mother's hand. Blood was leaking from her mother, she wasn't moving. There was a man, she yelled, screamed, and rushed at him. Something tripped her; causing her to crash painfully to the ground…she turned back and was met with Dexter's blank stare. Nothing was left in his eyes, open and empty, haunting. _

_Pushing back quickly, she scrambled to her feet, back pedaling from her brother. The blood was covering the floor, the entire carpet soaked in the sticky liquid, the air thick with a smell that made her want to vomit. She turned, screaming at the man in the corner, his face dark, featureless, but smiling. How she knew he was smiling she did not know, but she __**knew **__he was. _

_She rushed at him, but the loud explosion that ensued jolted her back. The noise was deafening, shattering the eerie quiet that had settled over the room. She lunged at the man, trying to stop him from finishing the job, wanting to do nothing but turn the gun on him and blow his brains out. But he vanished. She hit the ground with a thud, knocking the wind from her lungs. Trying desperately to suck air back in, she turned her head locking onto her father's cold, dead eyes. Staring into the lifeless shell that was his body. She felt her body shutter, and convulse with sobs. Jumping to her feet, she stumbled, tripping over her mother's leg and sprawling to the floor. _

_She lunged forward to her feet once again and stumbled, crashing down once more. The smell, the sights, the soundless room were all closing in on her and she had to get out or she would be next. The man would reappear and kill her if she stayed. She scrambled to her feet once again, and began to run, but she couldn't, her feet were sinking into the carpet, the blood cementing her in place._

_She keened, terrified and overcome with grief. Turning her head, through the blur of tears, she saw the man was back. He was standing in the corner again, his face blank, unrecognizable. He raised the gun, aimed it at her chest, she struggled to get away, but nothing could break the hold of her dead family's blood. The earth shattering blast shook the world as the bullet raced towards her…_

Devin shot forward from the bed and screamed; her eyes wide with terror, her body drenched in sweat, her mind disoriented from the nightmare. Something touched her arm softly and she scrambled away from it.

"Shh, kid, it's ok," Eddie's soft voice drifted softly into her ears. She turned to look at him, calming a little, and realizing it had all been just a nightmare. "It was just a dream, you're safe now."

"Safe," she mumbled as she slumped back down. Eddie watched her closely.

"Are you ok?"

"I…I don't know."


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: hey sorry about the long wait guys, after working a ton, I've only been around my computer on weekends so writing is slow going. But here is the next chapter, enjoy.**

**dark rolling sea.**

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Monday morning started early for Devin. She woke a few hours after falling back asleep from her nightmare. Eddie was next to her, still asleep when she quietly made her way to the kitchen for something to drink. Her mind was spinning and she needed to calm herself. She checked the clock and did the math in her head, still three hours before things would be alive in California.

After downing a glass of orange juice, she sat quietly at the table and thought. The nightmare had scared her, and she knew it was her memories resurfacing. Eddie had lightly pushed her last night to tell him about it, but she refused, unsure if she could share that darkness with someone.

An hour had passed as she stared a hole in the table, but no one else had risen. She had thought Gibbs would have woken after she passed through the living room, but he still slept, and she wondered how late he had been up. Movement in the doorway drew her attention and she found the other NCIS Agent coming in groggy eyed. Devin remained still, waiting for the other woman to notice her, and she saw Agent Todd jump slightly when her eyes finally registered Devin at the table.

Devin gave a slight smile, but made no other move, and said nothing. Kate poured herself a glass of water then settled into the chair opposite of Devin. Neither one spoke as Kate sipped at the glass. Finally she broke the silence.

"Morning," Kate said softly.

"Yeah," Devin replied quietly, studying Kate. She could see the other woman's uneasiness so she dropped her eyes. Devin checked the clock again, anxious to get started on the task for the day. Eagerness burned at her as she knew how close they could be to finding the killer of her family.

She looked back up to see Agent Todd now studying her. She gave a small smile and shook her head. Kate looked away. Devin started to tap her foot on the floor, the anxiety getting deeper. Why didn't the clock just move forward? How come California had to be so far behind time wise?

"Nervous?" Kate's voice broke into Devin's head, making her look up quickly. She stilled her foot and smiled.

"I never have been good at waiting."

"I can understand that."

"It's the not knowing that kills. I mean in a case, the waiting for information, kills the momentum. When it's juiced you need to run with it, but everyone else doesn't see it as a priority."

"It'll hold over. I'm sure we'll find something today. Gibbs has a contact at the FBI we can use to find out who this agent was that your father was writing about."

"I know a guy in California too. My dad and his dad went to the academy together," Devin replied checking the clock one more time. She was going to call him as soon as she thought he'd be up and it was nearing that time now.

She grabbed the phone. Who cares if she woke him up, she was done waiting. They could call the station when the next shift came on, when the captain would be available, but she could get a hold of Watson now. She dialed information, asked for a listing for Rayford Watson and waited. After having the operator connect her, the ringing sounded loudly in her ear. Finally the line was picked up and a very sleepy hello was uttered.

"Rafe, I don't know if you remember me, but this is Devin Riley," she said quietly into the phone. She was watching Kate and noticed the slight surprise in her eyes at the use of Riley. But the other woman said nothing. Devin waited for Rafe's reply.

"Devin Riley?" Rafe answered hesitantly, sleep slowing his mind down. "Like from when I was a kid, Devin Riley? Family murdered?"

"Yea, the one and only," Devin said as she turned from Kate. She wanted a little privacy for this conversation. Kate seemed to get the picture and got up, heading to the living room.

"I never thought I'd hear from you again. Dad said you went east, changed your name, got a new life, leaving your past behind."

"I did, but something's come up that brought it all front and center again. I was hoping you could help me. You still with LAPD?"

"Yeah, working homicide now," Rafe replied, his voice sharp and clear now.

"What precinct?"

"Hollywood, I got moved there a couple months ago."

"You know a guy named Jordan? Would have been around when our dad's were there. Most likely the captain."

"Of homicide?"

"Yeah, my dad worked under him, but I don't remember him. I need to talk to him if I can, but I don't know his first name or anything. Could be a lot of Jordan's but he would have been head of homicide twenty years ago."

"There's a Deputy Chief Alex Jordan who worked homicide twenty years ago."

"You know him?"

"Well yeah, my dad transferred to Hollywood after your dad died, kinda filled his role. Alex was the captain at the time. My dad, he took over some of your dad's cases. Jordan was there another ten years or so, then my dad took over."

"Your dad became captain of homicide?"

"He still is. What's going on Devin?"

Devin hesitated, but then felt she could trust Rafe. She decided to spill the story and see what he thought of it. After half an hour she stopped and waited, nothing coming from the other side, so she filled the silence. "What you think of all that?"

"Wow. I mean to not remember for twenty years then a voice release an onslaught of emotion like that. How you holding up?"

"I'm ok. I got support," Devin replied quietly as she thought of Eddie. A smile crossed her lips.

"Good. Look, I think you should talk with my dad. Like I said he's head of Hollywood Homicide right now, and he came in about a week after your dad died, took over some stuff. Jordan is a higher up now, not sure you'll get him to talk to you, but we can try, and maybe my dad will have more pull. Worth a try."

"Yeah it sounds like it. I'll check back in a few hours, talk to your dad and tell him I'm going to call, I think it will be less of a shock that way. I've got some things to clear up here, but then I'll call. Hopefully I'll have more information when I call."

"Yeah. I'll get moving. It was really good to hear from you, Dev; I'm sorry for the circumstances, but really good to hear from you. Don't be a stranger again, ok?"

"I'll try not to be, thanks for helping, Rafe, that means a lot to me."

"Anytime, Dev, anytime."

After getting Rayford's cell number, Devin hung up the phone and walked towards the living room. When she entered, everyone looked up at her expectantly. Kate must have told them about her phone call. She slid into the only empty chair and sighed.

"Learn anything?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah. Captain Alex Jordan was the head of Hollywood homicide twenty years ago when my dad worked there. He is now Deputy Chief Jordan. The new head of homicide in Hollywood division is Roland Watson; he moved over there a week after my dad died and took his spot at the table. Roland must have moved up the ranks and took over."

"You contact Jordan or Watson yet?" Eddie asked.

"No. I got a friend doing that for me. He's got more inside than I do."

"Who?" Gibbs asked.

"Rayford Watson. He's Roland's son. Knew him when I was a kid. He's gonna get back to me after he talks with his dad about things and see where we can go from there…officially or unofficially."

"I should make that call to the FBI see if I can find out who our Agent Jefferson is," Gibbs replied getting up and pulling his cell phone out. He left the room and Devin followed him with her eyes. The rest were silent for a long while before Kate broke the quiet.

"You think your friend can come through on the LA side?"

"Yes," Devin replied quietly. "Rafe will do what he can to get me what I need."

"Maybe we should fly out there, meet these people face to face," Eddie said. Devin looked over at him, and she saw he could see the torment in her eyes.

"I…I don't know that I can, Eddie. I haven't been back to LA since Granny and Gramps whisked me out here after being released from the hospital."

"Think you can handle being back there? I could go alone, work that end of it."

Devin didn't answer. It was all so much right now and she needed to think. She wanted to know about Agent Jefferson before she went out, maybe have an Ace in her pocket. She also knew it might be inevitable, that she may have to go to LA to work this. She took in a deep breath and slowly nodded at Eddie.

"Yeah, maybe after we find out about Agent Jefferson. We should go out to LA and look things over."


	14. Chapter 14

Gibbs waited impatiently for the phone to be answered. He had called Agent Tobias Fornell of the FBI hoping to get something on the mysterious Agent Jefferson. Finally the line picked up.

"Agent Fornell."

"Tobias, its Jethro. I need some information."

"On what? I didn't know NCIS was working a case that involved the FBI."

"It's not for NCIS; it's a…personal matter. I need information on an Agent Jefferson that worked a homicide in Los Angles twenty years ago."

"Twenty years ago? Are you serious? What do you think I am?"

"Come on, Tobias, the FBI keeps records. He was assigned to Captain Alex Jordan's homicide squad to assist Duncan Riley and John Kaine on a homicide of an unidentified victim. Brutal crime."

"What's your interest in this?"

"I told you. It's personal."

"Tell me more. I need information to look for this Agent Jefferson."

"Unidentified victim dismembered and beheaded. Detectives Riley and Kaine were assigned the case, couldn't break it. Captain Jordan brought in the FBI for whatever reason; mostly I think they thought it was a serial killer. They pinned the murder on someone named Drogan but I don't know anything else about it. I need to know who Agent Jefferson is and if I can speak with him."

"I'll see what I can find, but no promises, Jethro. Twenty years ago was a long time ago."

"Work your magic and get back to me," Gibbs replied before snapping the phone shut.

He hoped Fornell could come up with something. Although they knew the LA connections and possibly one of them would remember Agent Jefferson. He moved about in the kitchen, getting himself a cup of coffee.

He didn't necessarily hear Kate come in the kitchen, but he knew she was in the doorway. Gibbs could always sense when she was in the room, there was just something about her. He kept his back to her, sipping at the cup slowly as he waited for Fornell to get back to him. Finally he heard the kitchen floor creak, a tell that she was moving towards him. He spun around slowly, and leaned his back against the counter top.

She was studying him and he let her. His face was expressionless, as he continued to sip the mug, looking at her over the rim. He expected her to say something, but she just continued to search his face. He had to admit it was a little unnerving but he kept up his defenses.

"Something on your mind, Kate?"

"The pictures in the living room," she said softly. Gibbs felt himself flinch slightly before he locked the emotions up slightly. He knew exactly which pictures she was talking about and he didn't know if he was ready for this conversation. Kate was still watching his face, and waiting. He didn't give her a reaction and he could see the frustration in her face. He dropped his eyes, studying his coffee cup.

"What about them?"

"The one…of you and your family," Kate continued hesitantly, taking a few steps closer to him. He felt his heart tighten. Gibbs braced himself emotionally to control the pain that was about to be released. He didn't want to talk about his dead family, he never did, it was too painful, but for some reason he knew in this moment, the conversation would happen. All because of Kate.

"Yeah," he acknowledged in a low whisper, his eyes dropping to the floor to avoid her scrutiny.

"Devin looks a lot like your wife Shannon," Kate replied softly. Gibbs brought his eyes up to her and a small smile crossed his lips at the thought. Then he shook his head slowly. "No?"

"No, she looks like Bridget," Gibbs stated. Kate tilted her head to the side slightly; he could see the confusion in her eyes.

"Bridget?"

"Yes. Shannon's sister."

"So, Devin is your niece?"

"Yes."

"You've never mentioned family before…and now…"

"It was personal," Gibbs replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders. He placed the coffee mug on the counter top and then crossed his arms over his chest. Kate's intense stare was starting to melt his defenses and he struggled to keep the wall up. It was a losing battle, and he knew that, but he still struggled none the less.

"Tell me about them, Gibbs," Kate said so softly that Gibbs felt his resolve breaking. He felt himself tremble slightly as memories broke through the damn. When he picked his eyes up again from the ground, Kate was next to him, her hand gently rubbing on his shoulder.

He was silent as he stared at her, wondering what to do, what to say. His barriers always seemed to crumble around her, and he knew that she was different, yet he still had trouble bringing up the past. His heart was aching again with remembrance, his head spinning with details. But she didn't push him to continue, her hand just continued to rub absent circles on his shoulder.

Finally he gave in, dropping his eyes to the floor he launched into his past. He told her everything about Shannon, Kelly, and the rest of the family. Eventually he got to the part about Devin's tragic past, and how he couldn't cope with everything. Gibbs told her about handing Devin off to a family friend to raise, staying out of her life. Something he thought was for the best, but now maybe wasn't the right path to explore.

When he was finished he simply stared at the floor, willing his emotions to go back into the hole he kept them in. But he failed miserably and he knew that it all showed on his face. Gibbs refused to look at her, but he could feel her hand rubbing on his back now. He wasn't sure how he felt; this was something he hadn't done with anyone in a long time, share so much of himself. His emotions were all over the board, and he felt like sitting on the floor and crying. Gibbs hadn't cried in a long time.

He felt his knees giving way so he did just what he was feeling; let his body slide down the cabinets to the floor. Kate sat down next to him and leaned her shoulder against his. Neither one spoke, and that was perfect for Gibbs as he sorted out his emotions in his head. Things had just changed he was sure of that, but for better or worse he didn't know yet.

Kate was something special and he knew where she stood in his heart, but he couldn't imagine that she wanted more than just his friendship. Besides the fact that he was horrible at relationships. Ever since Shannon and Kelly had been ripped away from him he couldn't let anyone get close to him, for fear they too would be ripped away. It was a pain so deep that he knew he couldn't go through it again, survive it again. Yet he kept himself miserable living in darkness, all alone. Kate's voice drew him from his scattered thoughts.

"I know how hard that was for you, Gibbs. Thank you for telling me," she said softly, her voice cracking slightly. He looked at her for the first time and noticed the wetness in her eyes and on her checks. He had missed the fact that his story had made her cry. Instinct took over and he draped his arm over her shoulders, nudging her closer to his side. Gibbs felt her arm slide behind him and wrap around his back, as her other arm slid across his waist in the front.

"I miss them. I miss them so much," Gibbs whispered closing his eyes to the pain.

"I know. You'll always miss them. But you can still have a life. You can still be happy if you want. But you got to let yourself be happy."

Gibbs took pause, trying to read what she was saying. "I tried happiness. I failed three times."

"Talking about your ex-wives?"

"Yes."

"Why did you marry them? What were your reasons?"

"What?" Gibbs asked taken aback by the questions.

"Simple question, Gibbs, why did you want to marry those three women?"

But Gibbs couldn't answer that. He didn't know why he had married those three women. Hell he wasn't even sure why they married him. No reasons came fore front to him and he began to understand his failure in relationships. He then began to compare the women to Shannon, and none of them were even remotely close to her, other than looks, and even those were just a type. But his mind threw Kate in the mix and he knew the difference. The silence was stretching and he wondered why Kate hadn't broken it yet, but then again she was giving him time, not pushing him.

"I don't have an answer to that question," Gibbs finally replied.

"I think you were trying to replace the happiness you lost, but after the fact realized it wasn't the same. It would never be the same with those women. You were trying to plug a hole, but they weren't big enough to stop the leaks."

"It will never be enough."

"And if you feel that way it will be that way."

"Should I feel any differently?"

"That's up to you, Gibbs. If you want to be happy you have to find a way to get passed the ghosts and the pain. You are the only person to find forgiveness and happiness in your heart."

Gibbs left it at that. The moment felt right to him, Kate held tightly to his side, comforting. It stirred things inside him that had been dormant for a very long time, making things surface that he thought he had lost forever. Maybe it was time to face the demons, forgive himself for not being there, and move on, become happy again. God knew he owed that much to himself. Movement by the door caught his eye and he looked up to see Devin hesitate in the frame. She was turning away when he heard her speak.

"You guys look good together."

Gibbs went to answer her but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He shifted slightly, pulling the device from his pocket. Checking the caller ID he flipped the phone open and placed it against his ear.

"What do you got, Tobias?"


	15. Chapter 15

Devin walked away from the kitchen as Gibbs' phone rang, leaving the two settled on the floor. She knew he had shared something with her, most likely his past, and new she need not intrude on the moment. She liked Kate, she had to admit that, even just knowing her a few hours, she liked the other woman. Devin also thought Kate was good for her uncle Leroy.

Back in the living room she saw Eddie sitting on the couch staring at the floor. Jackson was no where in sight so she flopped heavily next to Eddie and sighed. She checked her watch again and shook her head. Things were not moving fast enough for her, the adrenaline surging through her body, the case giving her juice.

"Give it time, kid, things will move, just give it time."

"You know me, always hated the waiting game."

"I know," he said with a smile. "I like watching you fidget."

"You do, huh."

But Eddie couldn't respond because Gibbs walked into the living room at that moment snapping his phone shut. Kate was close on his heals and Devin could tell the news wasn't going to be the best. She waited hoping that the look on Gibbs' face was simply left over from his emotional outpouring in the kitchen. She was wrong.

"Agent Dean Edward Jefferson was assigned to help LAPD Homicide investigate a string of murders happening in Los Angeles twenty years ago. All the bodies that were found were dismembered and beheaded. None of the victims were identifiable, and as far as Fornell could tell were never identified. The problem is that Duncan Riley wasn't the only man involved in this case to have something happen to him. Agent Jefferson disappeared twenty years ago three weeks after Duncan Riley and his family were murdered."

"Disappeared?" Devin asked. "No leads? He was never found?"

"Still missing to this day. They had no leads, and no trace of the man. He left the Los Angeles field office one night and was never seen again. Case is still open."

"So we have a string of ten murders, three accounted for but seven are unclaimed. One detective and one feeb are killed while investigating the murders?" Eddie continued.

"Sounds that way," Gibbs replied.

"We need to find out more about this case. I need to talk to Watson and Jordan and see what they remember," Devin said getting up and pulling her cell phone out. She needed to call Rayford and set everything up, and she needed to do it fast.

"Devin," Gibbs said softly drawing her attention.

"Yeah?"

"We can use NCIS. Duncan was a Marine. I can open a case; put my team on this if we need to."

"Right now I think we got enough bodies. I'm going to go to LA," Devin replied as she left the room punching Rayford's cell number into her phone. He picked up almost instantly.

"Rafe, did you have a chance to talk to your dad?"

"Yeah. He was a little skeptical, Dev, I think you're going to need to talk to him."

"What do you mean?"

"He just seemed really uneasy when I brought up your name, and the murders, and I don't know, but maybe if you talk to him. He agreed to talk to you so that's a start."

"Uneasy how, Rafe?"

"I don't know if it's a big deal or if just memories you know? I mean he just kind of got quiet, and a distant look. Like…I don't know."

"I have more information. I have a contact at the FBI and they told me that the FBI agent that was working with my dad on his last case went missing. Three weeks after my family was killed, Agent Dean Jefferson disappeared never to be heard from again."

"That's just crazy. I don't know what was going on back then, Dev, but I don't know, the way my dad reacted I think it might not be cool to dig. But I'll help if you want."

"Thanks, Rafe. Tell your dad I'm coming out to LA to talk to him. I'll call you later to let you know when my flight lands and all that."

Devin walked back into the living room and sat down next to Eddie again. She stared at her cell phone for a moment before glancing at everyone in the room. Something bad had happened twenty years ago and her family had been caught in the whirlwind. This information fueled her more, and she was chomping at the bit to find the truth.

"What'd he have to say?" Eddie asked, his hand gently gripping her elbow.

"His dad was uneasy, nervous when Rafe spoke to him about it. Something went down, I need to know what. I told Rafe I'd be coming out to LA."

"When you plan on doing that?" Gibbs asked with his arms crossed over his chest. Devin looked up at him.

"As soon as I can get a flight."

"You aren't going alone."

"Since when were you in charge?" Devin asked with a little bite. She saw Gibbs cringe slightly and she sighed. "What do you want?"

"I'm going with you. You need the help," Gibbs replied calmly. Devin clenched her jaw but nodded.

"I'm going too," Eddie said with a nod. Devin sighed.

"Ok, you wanna come too, Kate? Might as well make it a party."

"I don't have to if you don't want me too," Kate replied. Devin looked at her with curiosity before shrugging her shoulders.

"Why not. The more the merrier."

"I'll book tickets," Eddie said pulling his blackberry out and going to work on it. It was quiet in the living room as Devin thought about everything they had learned. She ran it all through her head at high speed, looking for anything that might jump out at her but nothing did. She was frustrated.

"We're missing something," she mumbled.

"What do we know?" Kate asked sitting on the arm of the couch. Devin looked up at her and pondered for a moment.

"Ten murders in LA twenty years ago. My dad and his partner John land the case. FBI is called in. They can link three of the ten murders to a man named Drogan, and tie him into the other seven to close the case. Dad doesn't agree, doesn't like the FBI agent, thinks something is shady on the deal. Dad, Mom, and Dex die. Agent Jefferson disappears."

"Focus on the murders," Gibbs picked up. "What do we know about the murders?"

"Dismemberment and beheading. The killer didn't want his victims identified. Or immense rage caused him to mutilate the bodies. They tie into another killer that had been locked up about ten years at the time. Brutal killings."

"So we have a common thread with an incarcerated serial killer, a man named Drogan that admitted to three of the killings. Your dad didn't think they were the same as the other seven, something in the killings made him think Drogan was a copy cat," Gibbs continued.

"Right. He was convinced that Drogan didn't kill the other seven victims. Maybe Drogan wasn't the copy cat. Which three murders did Drogan admit to?" Kate added.

"What do you mean?" Devin asked.

"If Drogan killed the first three, someone else might have been tagging on to his list. If he killed the middle or last three, then he was the copy cat," Kate explained.

"You think someone was using Drogan to cover up what they were doing?" Gibbs asked thoughtfully. "That might be a valid theory."

"So we need to find out who Drogan claimed as his victims. See where they were in the line up and try to figure out who might have been able to copy him," Devin stated.

"It would be easier to investigate this if it was official NCIS business," Gibbs replied again. Devin looked up at him. She thought about it and knew he was probably right. She was going to have to rely on LAPD letting her see the files she wanted; she had no right to them, or privileges either.

"Just you and Kate though. No large scale investigation," Devin replied. Gibbs nodded and pulled his phone out leaving the room. Kate nodded with a small smile on her face and Devin dropped her head again. This was spinning fast.

"We're booked on a flight to LAX in three hours," Eddie replied putting his phone away. Devin nodded and took a deep breath.

"Guess we better get ready and head to the airport," Devin replied as Gibbs came back in the room.

"Done. It's official NCIS business now," Gibbs said.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Aside from the one on chapter one that covers the NCIS stuff...I don't own the lyrics from the song Shades of Gray by the Monkees, I just used them in this chapter.**

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It was late afternoon in California when they arrived at the airport. Devin was juiced and jittery, the adrenaline of the case charging through her veins, along with nervousness and fear from being back in Los Angeles. It had been twenty years since she was in this city, whisked away by her grandparents the moment she was cleared for transporting.

Her head exploded, flipped, and churned with memories, fears, and thoughts of the case. Quietness had gripped her and she knew that Eddie was worried about her. She had never really shared her past with him before. Standing in line waiting for a rental vehicle, she turned in a circle, taking in all the sights.

She paused to look out the window at the runways, the planes locked in a carefully controlled gridlock, before coming three hundred sixty degrees again and staring straight ahead. Finally it was their turn and Gibbs secured a car for them, and they filed out to head into town.

No one had really spoken and Devin felt her stomach turning. She wasn't sure she could face this. Second thoughts were slamming into her hard, making her nauseous and giving her a headache. Her hand went to the bridge of her nose and she sucked in a deep breath, hoping the oxygen would help.

An arm draped around her neck and shoulders, pulling her closer in to a warm body. She opened her eyes to find Eddie holding her, guiding her towards the vehicle. She could only nod, wondering if she was mentally strong enough to survive the ride she was about to take.

In the car the air was stifling, almost suffocating to Devin. She felt trapped, contained, and she didn't like it. No one was talking and the silence was monstrous on her ears, making her head feel like it was in a vice, yet she couldn't bring herself to start a conversation. The car pulled to a stop at a red light and Devin felt her stomach growl. She checked her watch noting it was already seven in the evening back east, although it was only four in the afternoon where they were.

The car was moving again and the silence was deafening. Devin thought she might go insane in the cramped vehicle and started to tap her finger lightly against the window just to break the monotony of the atmosphere. She felt Eddie shift and then his eyes study her, but she refused to look at him, there was too much unprotected emotion running through her eyes.

He seemed to catch the uneasiness in her and his hand started to slowly massage her shoulder. She closed her eye and leaned into his touch slightly. Another thing that was cascading in her mind, jumbled up with the case and memories of her past, was this thing with Eddie. As much as she didn't want things to change between them, she wanted things to change between them.

She was terrified of losing her best friend, but what if things were twice as great? There was so much going on in her head she thought it was going to explode. Eddie's hand was still working magic on her shoulder and the car pulled into the parking lot of a hotel. The silence was finally broken when Gibbs spoke.

"We'll get a couple rooms first, then seek out some dinner. We can start digging into this first thing in the morning," he voiced before getting out of the car and heading towards the lobby. Kate got out as well and followed him. Devin followed them with her eyes, wondering how close they really were.

"What you thinking about, kid?" Eddie's voice broke into her head, making her slowly turn her head to face him.

"About them. Wondering if they are seeing each other."

"Why would they hide it?" Eddie asked causing Devin to shrug.

"If they aren't seeing each other I think they're on their way to being a couple. I think it's good, she's good for him."

"Yeah. What else is bouncing around in that head of yours? You seem…cagey."

"Wouldn't you after all that's happened in the last two days? I mean hell, Eddie, my life is completely different from two days ago. Two days."

"Yeah, I guess it is. Sorry, I added some of that stress."

"You are not stress. You are…"

"What?"

You are a shade of gray."

"Pardon?" Eddie asked with a slight laugh. "A shade of gray?"

"Just…thinking about that song…you know by the Monkees. Shades of Gray."

"When the world and I was young just yesterday, life was such a simple game a child could play. It was easy then to tell right from wrong, easy then to tell weak from strong, when a man should stand and fight or just go along. But today there is no day or night, today there is no dark or light, today there is no black or white, only shades of gray," Eddie sang softly to her. She smiled.

"Yeah that one."

"I remember when the answer seemed so clear. We had never lived without or tasted fear. It was easy then to tell truth from lies, selling out from compromise, who to love and who to hate, the foolish from the wise. But today…"

"Ok, ok, ok! I get it you know the song," Devin replied with a smile, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. He grinned like a child and nodded.

"Ok. What about it?"

"You, you're in the gray. The unexpected, not known, the gray."

"I see. How much to protect your heart and how much to care?"

"Something like that. I don't want to lose what we already have, but I'm so damn curious."

"Just let it take its course. Let time tell."

Devin watched his eyes as he spoke to her and was knocked back by the love in his eyes. She had never noticed it before, but she was sure it had been there before. Life was surly spinning faster than she could handle, making her wonder if she was going to be able to continue to hang on. But in staring into his eyes, she found peace and solace that she hadn't known was inside her, and knew he'd stick by her no matter what happened.

She worked on impulse as she leaned in closer and gently brushed her lips to his for the first time. He sat still and let her explore as she kissed him lightly before pulling back. The smile on his face was enough to make her grin.

"Thank you, Eddie, for everything you've done the last two days."

"No problem," he whispered as he took her hand in his. Devin saw Gibbs and Kate coming back to the car and she took a deep breath clearing her head. Gibbs dropped into the driver side, waiting for Kate, then moved the car to a parking space in front of a side door.

"We're in rooms 205 and 207," Gibbs said with a nod. Devin followed Kate into the room and crashed down on the first bed she came too. She lay sprawled out staring at the ceiling trying to calm her racing nerves. She had been on hyper drive for two days now and it was taking its effect on her mind and body. She noticed Kate looking at her and she closed her eyes.

"Maybe you should get some rest," Kate said in a low voice.

"Hmmpf," Devin mumbled in reply as she draped an arm over her eyes. She felt like she was falling, spinning, out of control. What she would give to go back to two days ago, before everything she knew changed. A voice. A voice on a tape changed her entire world. "It's all overwhelming."

"I know how that can be. Sometimes a case can work you over. Especially if it involves you personally."

"The memories. I can't get the memories out of my head now. I was so angry with myself for…forgetting what happened that day. But now…now that I remember," she rambled, pulling her arm down and sitting up. Her eyes went to Kate's, fighting to hold back the tears. "Now that I remember, I wish I didn't. Isn't that the strangest thing? I wanted my whole life to remember what happened, and now that I do, I'd give anything to erase it."

"Trauma is that way. You think you want to know, angry at yourself for forgetting what happened to your family. Maybe if you remember, you know who killed them. But in reality your mind shut it all down because it was too much for you to process."

"I can handle it," Devin replied defiantly. She flopped back onto the bed and listened to her stomach growl. "I could eat too."

They both shared a chuckled and Kate agreed with her. Devin then shoved herself off the bed and trudged into the bathroom. She proceeded to splash cold water on her face, and then dried off with a towel. When she emerged from the bathroom, Gibbs and Eddie were standing in the doorway.

"Hungry?" Gibbs asked with a small smirk. She nodded slowly as the four moved out of the room and back into the car.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Ive been working on this chapter since the end of last week and I just couldn't get the feel right. But I think it's good now, so hopefully it was worth the wait. A bit of insight into Gibbs. Enjoy. dark rolling sea.**

* * *

Even in the low lighting of the restaurant they had chosen, Gibbs could see the pressure and emotion radiating from Devin. He was worried, more than he would show. It scared him that she was trying to take this on, but he also understood. He had done the same thing, gone and killed the man that had killed his family.

He watched her, as she sat staring at the menu. He could see the emotion and trauma littering her eyes and wondered how long before she cracked. With his attention so intently focused on Devin, he nearly jumped when he felt a hand gently grip his knee. He looked down slowly, seeing Kate's hand flexing slightly. His eyes traveled up to her eyes and she gave him a reassuring smile. She then leaned in very close, her breath tickling his neck and whispered in his ear.

"It'll be ok, she'll be ok."

Gibbs felt the shiver start and fought against showing it outwardly. He felt disappointment when Kate pulled back. His mind somersaulted and wondered when the hell all this had happened. It was no secret that they had grown closer in their friendship over the last two years, and he had been sucked in deeper than he had ever known was possible. He just didn't know when. He figured since it happened so gradually he never noticed the subtle changes in their relationship, but there was definitely a spark tickling his stomach.

But then his gaze shifted back to Devin and his thoughts of Kate scattered. Worry and protectiveness surged through his system and he vowed to never let his niece down again. He had very little family left in his life and she was a part of that. Now all he had to do was win her over, get past her grudge and anger, and make her a part of his life once again.

Just looking at her brought back memories that hurt his soul, but he knew he would be strong enough to make it through this time. Besides he had help he suddenly realized, and his gaze shifted slightly to take in Kate for a brief moment before moving back towards Devin.

She looked just like her mother and in turn looked like Shannon and Kelly. Memories of a life long past flashed through his mind bringing up sorrow and pain. He hid it the best he could, but figured Kate could read right through his blockade. She was getting better at that and that scared him. Very few people had _ever_ been able to read Jethro Gibbs, but Kate was quickly becoming one of them. That fact both scared and excited him.

Gibbs' thoughts were interrupted when a very young waitress came up to the table. She took their orders with practices poise, before leaving them alone once again. The silence at the table was deafening and he wondered what everyone else was thinking about. He continued to study Devin, racking his brain for a way to break the ice. He didn't want to talk about things that would push the somber mood further down, but figured nothing else would spark a conversation.

He ducked his head when he felt Kate's leg press against his. The jolt of anticipation he felt rocked him, but he did his best to hide it from the outside. His mind returned to her once again, wondering when all this happened. The last four years floated through his mind in a timeline of events that he and Kate had shared together. He analyzed each passing moment, looking for what triggered these feelings deep inside his heart.

There was no major change he decided, it had gradually happened, from attraction to a co-worker, to friends, to close friends, to something more, to now. He couldn't even begin to describe what he felt now, and that partially scared the hell out of him, but he would never admit that. He hadn't felt this unsure around a woman since he was sitting at the train station back in 1976.

Again the train in his mind was derailed when a plate of food appeared in front of him on the table. He glanced up to see the waitress dishing out the other plates. Still no one talked and this concerned him. The mood was depressing and would only prove to drag them down further if something wasn't done. They were close on the heels of this case and that should have energized and excited them, but as it was, they were depressed and drained.

Eating in silence Gibbs' mind continued to run. He thought about what it would be like to change his relationship with Kate, if she would even want to change their relationship. He thought about having Devin in his life again, and how that would change. Would it help to ease the pain of his loss? Or would it make the pain greater with added memory? Was he ready to move forward in his life? Live again as Kate suggested? She had told him it was up to him to be happy. Was he really keeping himself in the darkness?

Gibbs began answering his own questions as he finished his plate of food. Yes, he thought, there was something there with Kate, she felt something too. No, having Devin around wouldn't make the pain worse. Nothing could make it worse, and on the contrary he honestly believed that having her around might be the one way he could start to let go. Ready to move forward? Yes, he was. He was done trying to live in the past, the present suddenly looked much more enticing. And finally, yes he was keeping himself in darkness. He was looking for something to fill the hole, but he knew he was the only one that could actually patch the hole in his heart.

Working through his pain and guilt was the only way to start the road to recovery. It had taken him a long time to admit that, but it was time. He finally had something to work towards, Kate and Devin. Gibbs looked towards Kate when he felt her hand gently form to his shoulder. The question in her eyes told him that she had been watching him, watching the questions and emotions flit across his eyes and face. He gave her a smile, one that conveyed that everything was alright. She nodded slowly, but he could still see that she was curious.

Gibbs paid the check while the others went to the car. A word hadn't been spoken in over an hour and he knew something was going to have to give. Once back at the hotel he sat in the room with Eddie and wondered about the case. Things were moving and they needed to be prepared when they met with the LAPD tomorrow. He looked up at the younger man. He was about to ask about the case, but changed his mind. Eddie would know Devin better than anyone, besides he was curious about their relationship.

"Tell me about Devin," Gibbs asked softly. Eddie looked up at him, cocking one eyebrow.

"Don't you know her? Being her uncle and all," Eddie finished in a quiet voice.

"Tell me about Devin."

Eddie eyed him a moment, but Gibbs gave away nothing. His eyes were empty as were his facial features. Gibbs could see the wheels spinning in Eddie's eyes and waited the younger man out. Eventually Eddie looked down at his hands and began.

"Devin's tough. She's closed off, doesn't share all that much of her personal life before the cops. She's a top notch detective, rising quickly in Baltimore. Thinks the world of Nick Beck, goes after bad guys with abandon."

"She as strong as she comes across?" Gibbs asked. Eddie's head pulled up slowly, and he locked eyes with Gibbs, giving him a small smile.

"She's as tough as they come, but she's still fragile inside like the rest of us. This…this trip down memory lane is tearing her apart inside."

"She have other friends? Other than you?"

"Maybe in the cops, but not outside the blue. She doesn't socialize much, hasn't dated much since I met her."

"You keep track?" It was the opening Gibbs was waiting for; a reason to dig into Eddie and Devin's relationship.

"Look its not like I stalk her, I'm her partner. We spend time together, we talk," Eddie countered defensively. When Gibbs didn't reply he continued. "She's gone on a few dates that she's talked about, never went very well. Guy always seemed to bail after a while, but Dev said she thought it was because she scared them."

"Wouldn't talk to them?"

"Something like that. I don't think Devin is capable of talking about herself."

"Except with you?" Gibbs asked, watching the younger man's reactions to his questions. He could see the deep seeded concern in his eyes, knew there was love in his heart for Devin.

"Yeah, I guess she does talk to me. I kind of started that. I talk to her about…everything."

Gibbs was starting to like the young man. He then remembered something Devin had said about him at the house and contemplated his next question. She had mentioned his history with the Marine Corps and Gibbs was curious. He decided to breach the subject.

"Devin said you had history with the Marine Corps?" Gibbs asked watching the younger man closely. Eddie's head came up with pride in his eyes.

"Yeah. I'm a fourth generation Marine."

"Officer?"

"Nope. All enlisted."

Gibbs nodded and let it drop. He liked the kid even more now. He thought about what Eddie had said about Devin and wondered just how tough she really was. He could see her caving in, and it hurt him inside to see it. He had mentioned she was fragile and being torn up inside and that was what Gibbs was worried about. Afraid she wouldn't reach out for help.

His concentration was broken when Eddie stood and stretched slightly before announcing he needed some air and was going for a walk. That left Gibbs alone in the room, lost in his thoughts. He sighed, wondering how to further his relationships with both the women in the other room when a soft knock on his door grabbed his attention. He stared in that direction and debated opening it, whoever had knocked had not meant for it to be heard. He rose from the chair he was occupying and walked slowly to the door. Opening it, he found Kate half way between his door and hers. He waited until her hand landed on the knob of her own door before he softly called out to her.

"Kate?"

She stopped, her head coming up showing him uncertainty and a little surprise. He locked eyes with her for a moment, studying her, and letting her study him. He still remained a stone wall, but somehow he thought that maybe she could see over that. After a charged filled moment he tipped his head towards his open door and Kate looked down at the ground briefly, deciding what to do. Finally she relinquished and slowly took the steps to his door. Gibbs took a step back from the doorway.

"Come in," he said in a soft voice. Kate nodded slowly and walked into his room. Gibbs watched her scan the room and then took a seat in the chair he had been sitting in. He walked to the edge of the bed and sat facing her, watching her face. After a long silence Gibbs finally spoke. "Need something, Kate?"

Her eyes came up to his and she gave him a weak smile. He could see she was nervous and this intrigued him. Why would she be nervous? Around him? He cocked his head to the side slowly, trying to get something out of her, and then she finally spoke.

"I'm worried about you," she said hesitantly and Gibbs felt his lips curl into a smirk. He liked the way that sounded coming from her, and that jolt of anticipation returned. He nodded slowly, sure she could read right through him, and he started to let his defenses down.

"Why?"

"You looked…lost at the restaurant. You looked hurt, sad."

"I thought I did a good job of hiding that," he whispered with a chuckle, slowly shaking his head as he dropped his eyes to the floor. He brought his eyes back up to her in time to see her smile softly and it melted him a little more. "I'm ok, Kate, you don't have to worry about me."

"You have to stop hiding the pain."

"I know," Gibbs said with a shrug. He could see this caught Kate off guard. She had expected him to deny it. "I know if I want to move forward I have to stop living in the past. Shannon wouldn't want me to be miserable. I think she'd like you."

Kate was silent, and Gibbs could tell she was trying to wrap her mind around what he had just said. She was confused by his sudden change of demeanor and he felt a load lifted from his shoulders. Kate was the right move. He was ready to move the relationship to the next level; he just hoped she was ready too. He slipped from the bed, and kneeled between her legs, his hands resting on her knees.

Her eyes showed her bewilderment, but he didn't see any fear in them. He smiled up at her, and slowly it became a full blown grin. She stared into his eyes and he got lost in the emotion that was charging between the two of them. How had it taken four years for him to notice this? Pushing up from his haunches he moved his hands to the airs of the chair for support. Leaning down close to her, he hesitated for a moment, reading her reaction.

"I'm here if you want me," he whispered softly, holding his breath, letting her make the first move. Neither one moved and Gibbs felt the first icicle of fear hit his spin, but then she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

The kiss was soft and exploratory, and Gibbs felt his body heat rise. He pulled back slightly and Kate chased him for a second kiss, which turned into a third. In that moment he knew she was different then the rest of his ex-wives. Her arms came forward and draped around his neck as they rested forehead to forehead.


	18. Chapter 18

When they walked into the Hollywood Division precinct's Homicide room, Devin felt a wave of nerves and fear wash over her. This was going to be it. She could feel something was going to break; her direction would be gained in this room. How she knew this, she didn't know, but it was there, in the air, hanging. She stopped by the coffee machine and looked at a man sipping from a cup. He was staring at her.

"Help you?" The man asked with a cocked eyebrow. Devin watched his eyes travel down the line. Gibbs stepped up from the rear and flipped his NCIS badge.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. We're here to talk with Rayford Watson."

"Over there," the man pointed to a young man working at a desk. His head was down, but Devin knew immediately which one was him.

Rayford was sitting at a desk crammed in with more desks. Moving in that direction she felt the train behind her shift as one. They must have looked very out of place moving through the maze of detectives, because every head in the bullpen swiveled to watch them pass, as conversations hushed momentarily as they approached.

Devin finally reached Rayford's desk and stopped, leaning down placing her hands palms flat against the surface. He looked up and smiled shaking his head, and Devin knew he still recognized her. He stuck his hand up and she gripped it.

"Jeez, Dev, you look just like your mom did," he said in a low voice before standing. Devin felt a pang of nerve hit her stomach and she pushed it away. She didn't like to think about how much she looked like her mother, but she knew it was inevitable, it was going to be commented on here.

"Yeah," Devin replied quickly as she let go of his hand. Devin turned to the others and made introductions all around. After that was taken care of, Rayford motioned that they should follow him. He led them from the crowded room into a conference room. Everyone took a seat and Rayford closed the door, and turned to the table. He dropped a thin file on the table with a sigh.

"I got the file from your family's murder, but something ain't right about it," Rayford said rubbing the back of his neck as he slid into the chair next to Devin.

"How so?" Devin asked immediately.

"Ahh, look things have been weird around here since I brought this stuff up with my dad. He's been distant and basically avoiding me."

"This is suspicious?" Eddie asked. Rayford looked up at him and nodded slowly.

"Yeah. My dad and I usually talk all the time. We're close. Look, he's rattled about this and I don't know why."

"What's not right with the file?" Gibbs asked as he reached for it. Devin snatched it first and she could see the concern in Gibbs eyes. She ignored him and flipped the folder open. Eddie glanced over her shoulder.

"For it being a cop killing, there should be more there. But there's not. My guess, some stuff either didn't make it in the file, or someone has scrubbed it," Rayford explained licking his lips. Devin could feel the nervousness radiating off him.

"Why would someone scrub this file?" Kate asked.

"Look, this is deeper than I know. I can't tell you anything, I don't even know if anything is even missing. This is all from twenty years ago. Anything could have happened I guess. Maybe I'm just nervous because my dad is acting weird, but I don't know is all I can say, ok?"

"Its ok, Rafe, no one is saying you did anything," Devin replied as she continued to read the file.

She felt sick to her stomach and light headed as she read about the crime scene in the file. She tried to detach herself from it but it was all too familiar and foreign at the same time, for her to take it in. Finally she dropped the file and slid it to Gibbs, looking up at Rayford after.

"Will your dad talk to us?" Devin asked. "NCIS is opening an investigation on Duncan Riley, since he was a Marine."

"You really do have some pull don't you?" Rayford asked but Devin didn't answer him, nor did her eyes leave his. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm himself before he continued. "I don't know. He was really evasive and hesitant last night, said he had to make some calls. Something smells about this."

"A cover up," Gibbs grumbled. Rayford's eyes snapped on Gibbs and darkness clouded the young detectives face.

"Look, don't go making accusations you can't back up," Rayford retorted with anger evident in his words. Devin touched his arm lightly, bringing his eyes back to her.

"Rafe, listen, no one is accusing anyone of anything. We're just trying to figure this out. I just want to talk to someone who worked this case, and knew the case my dad was working on when he died. That's all."

"He was on the phone when you got here. I'll check now to see if he's available," Rayford replied before standing and leaving the room. Devin looked at the table, her palms flat against the hard surface, wondering what could happen next. The wait seemed to take forever, the seconds slowly to hours, the minutes becoming days, but it was all in her head and she knew it. Trying to keep her breathing normal she calmed her inside. She decided to run what they knew through her head again, and work it to death. At least it gave her something to do other than sit and wait.

Finally the door opened again and Rayford came in quickly with a sour look on his face and sat down. Shortly after Roland Watson waltzed into the conference room in a neatly pressed suit and looking extremely unhappy. Devin glanced sideways at him before nodding at Gibbs. Her uncle took the cue in stride and stood. It was his time to finesse the brass.

"Captain Watson? I'm Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS, got a few questions for you," Gibbs deadpanned the man. Devin watched the silent exchange between the two men and could feel the tension expand.

"What can I do for NCIS," he said with a clenched jaw. It rippled with tension and Devin wondered what was causing him to be so uptight. "I am willing to cooperate to whatever extent I can."

"I want to ask about the murder of Duncan Riley and his family. This file we were given is light. Wasn't there more done with the investigation?" Gibbs asked. Nothing like diving head first into the shallow end Devin thought. She watched the outrage and anger rocketed over Captain Watson's face.

"We took that case very seriously, Agent Gibbs. Dunny was one of our own," he replied stiffly. Devin could tell he took offense to Gibbs' comment.

"You found no suspects, nothing at the scene that could give you a solid lead?"

"No, the only survivor didn't remember anything," he said. His voice softened when he said it and his eyes danced to Devin before redirecting back to Gibbs. "And very little physical evidence was left at the scene."

"Shell casings? Bullets?" Kate asked softly.

"He policed the scene. The only bullets recovered were badly damaged, and we were unable to match them to anything."

"Policed the scene?" Gibbs asked curiously. "Professional."

"That's what we thought too," Watson replied his anger melting away. Devin now saw sorrow and loss on the man's face. He was reliving his memories. "Look, this was taken away from us. That's why that file was so light. RHD came in and sucked it up in their vacuum. We did what we could in our limited time, but they just came in and took it away."

"What about the case Detective Riley was working on at the time of his murder?"

"That I don't know much about. It wasn't mine, and someone else took over that. I got to Hollywood Division a week after Dunny was killed. I filled his role, but I didn't necessarily take his cases."

"Who took that case?"

"RHD snatched that up too. Said it was a serial killer," Roland replied shaking his head and taking a deep breath. He hesitated a moment then pulled the last empty chair out and sat down. "Look, I'm sorry I'm so edgy about this but things happened back then that made us drop this."

"Drop the death of one of your own? Must have been bad stuff," Eddie asked. Devin looked at him and knew what he was thinking. She didn't think Eddie would ever drop a case involving the murder of a BPD officer.

"You NCIS?" Roland asked.

"No, sir, Baltimore PD," Eddie answered drawing a confused frown from Watson, but he continued without pause.

"Certain things happen and you drop it. People go missing, evidence walks out the door. Threats are tossed around."

"Something happened and it was covered up," Devin replied angrily. "You bastards covered up the murder of my father."

"Easy, Devin," Gibbs warned softly. Devin flashed angry eyes on him.

"Look, Devin, I'm so sorry. I know you probably don't understand any of this, but believe me you weren't around here twenty years ago. Heads were rolling; people were being fired, reassigned. And then that FBI Agent disappeared. It spooked all of us. And that case your dad was working on, Christ, you should have _seen_ those victims."

"Does the name William James Eriksson mean anything to you?" Devin asked and felt Eddie's hand grip her knee softly. She ignored him and watched Roland for a reaction. She saw the surprise flash across his eye and his muscles tense before he recomposed himself. It was very brief, but it was there.

"Who?" He asked. Devin didn't believe that he didn't know the name. She watched him for a moment, he stared back at her.

"Surprise flashed in your eyes when I said his name. Your muscles tensed and released, and you waited a hair too long before replying. Again I ask you does the name William James Eriksson mean anything to you."

Devin watched him the entire time she spoke. When she called him out he saw something close to pride in his eyes, then the small smile that cracked his lips. He sucked in air and shook his head, the small smirk still on his face. Devin glanced at Gibbs but he was watching Watson. She returned her attention to the Captain.

"He's a murderer. He's been in prison for over thirty years. Why is that important to this?"

"Why act like you don't know him?" Devin countered. He nodded slowly, his eyes racing with confusion, trying to weave what she knew. "Hmm?"

"Look, I'm limited on what I can share here. I…"

"Who's got you scared?" Devin asked pushing towards him slightly. Rayford was between her and the Captain and he braced a hand on her shoulder as she lunged.

"Easy, Dev," he said softly. "He's trying to help."

"Not in my book," Devin gritted through a clenched jaw. She felt like they were wasting time here. It was obvious to her that Captain Watson knew much more than he was telling them.

"Where'd you get Eriksson's name? He's not connected to anything your dad was working on, he was already in prison and your dad had nothing to do with him."

"We have a body in Baltimore, beheaded and dismembered. No fingers, no head, unidentifiable," Eddie volunteered. Devin again watched Watson's reaction. The recoil in his eyes was massive. His head tipped to the side and his jaw clenched again. Watson licked his lips nervously and let out a slow breath.

"Any suspects?" Watson asked softly. Devin could see his resolve coming down. Maybe they would get somewhere now.

"No. We've got a guy in the hospital that took a beating not far from the body, but when we left Baltimore we had nothing," Eddie continued.

"You still working that case?" Rayford asked his attention on Devin.

"No, we handed it off. Something else came up," Devin said.

"The voice?" Rayford continued.

"Yeah," Devin replied.

"What voice?" Roland asked confused, his eyes moving from Devin to his son and back.

"You didn't tell him everything?" Devin asked Rayford. She watched him closely as he shrugged.

"No, I couldn't. He got all upset when I brought it up and he wouldn't let me tell him the whole story so I…"

"What voice?"

"The voice that brought back all my memories," Devin replied softly, her eyes never leaving Captain Watson's.


	19. Chapter 19

Roland Watson stared at Devin. She held his gaze, keeping her face empty of emotion. Watching him study her, she thought he might finally be ready to talk to them. He looked frustrated and drained, and Devin wondered who all was involved that had Watson so uptight.

"You remember what happened that night?" Roland asked in a harsh whisper. Devin continued to watch him, and the sympathy and pain in his eyes made her sit back into the chair. She ducked her eyes to stare at the table and thought about that night.

"Yes," she replied tersely. "I remember…everything that I saw, heard, and experienced that night. It all came back in a rush."

"A scary moment," Eddie replied softly. Again Devin felt his hand on her knee.

"What did you see, Devin?" Roland asked leaning forward, his hands bracing on the table top. She watched his eyes and saw that he was finally ready to listen. She sucked in a deep breath and told him everything she remembered.

"Whose voice triggered all this?" Roland asked after she had finished. Devin was fighting with the emotions inside her and couldn't answer. She tried but nothing came out and she struggled to hold back the tears. Eddie sat forward.

"Look, Devin's been looking at Eriksson for a while as a kind of case study. Know your enemy kind of thing. When we got that DB a couple days ago her mind immediately went to Eriksson and we didn't have any other leads so I entertained the idea. What could it hurt? We found an interview on tape in the file, no transcripts no log on it, just a tape that said it was interview number twenty three," Eddie explained calmly.

"Eriksson's voice triggered this?" Rayford asked confused. "Wouldn't that be impossible?"

"It wasn't Eriksson," Devin whispered.

"Who ever was interviewing Eriksson on the tape was the voice that triggered Devin's onslaught of memories. It wasn't the criminal that did it, see, it was the interviewer," Eddie continued.

"You're saying a law enforcement agent killed your father?" Roland asked in a defeated voice. Devin looked up at him and saw that he was scared. He knew something that he wasn't sharing and now he was scared. Devin managed to finally control her emotions and decided to take the bull by the horns.

"What are you hiding, Roland? What aren't you sharing with us? Something fucking happened back then that you ALL rolled over on, and I want to know what."

"Easy, Devin," Gibbs eased from the other side of the table. Devin flashed hard eyes on him showing her anger but he simply stared back at her with ice cold blue. She was frustrated beyond belief.

"Look, I know this is frustrating…"

"Frustrating?" Devin shouted. Eddie's hands clamped on her shoulders and squeezed. She mentally stepped back and closed her eyes. Taking in a deep breath she fixed her gaze on the table and waited for someone else to speak.

"The FBI and RHD came in and shut us up. Three guys got transferred out of here for speaking up right after that FBI Agent vanished. You see Dunny and his family killed, you see the FBI Agent vanish, you see three guys moved across town for freeway therapy, you keep your mouth shut and you move on," Roland defended himself.

"Who was rolling heads?" Gibbs asked.

"What does it matter?" Roland retorted.

"Someone was keeping you all quiet. Someone was making the decision to cover this up. Someone was calling the shots," Kate added quietly. Devin watched Roland glance at her, thinking about what he should say.

"Jordan was the only man I was in contact with. He was my captain, but I'm sure the orders came from higher up. I don't know," Watson countered. His voice was laced with exhaustion.

"Who worked the case my dad was on? It couldn't have just been him and Kaine. This was way too big for just two detectives to be riding it. We were told there were ten murders tied into it," Devin asked.

"No it wasn't just your dad and Kaine, but they had point. They were the two that worked with the FBI. But you see the murders weren't all in Hollywood. Some were in Rampart; at least one was in Wilshire, and then North Hollywood as well. Not only do you have four different Divisions, you have three different Bureaus as well," Roland explained.

"Meaning?" Gibbs asked.

"Communication and line of command. Each Division sent their own homicide detectives to the scene. They worked it until they figured out it was connected to something else…if they connected them. Get my drift?"

"A lot of people worked this thing," Eddie replied.

"Yeah. Lots of people over lots of years. But I wasn't involved in that."

"Know who was that would talk to us?" Devin asked. "Officially or unofficially."

"I'd have to dig around, look at who worked those cases before they got snatched up by your dad and Kaine. It was twenty years ago though, most of those guys are gonna have moved on, or retired, and like Kaine passed on," Roland replied his hands up in the air. Devin nodded, she knew it would be difficult but something had to give.

"So you're willing to help us?" Devin continued. She watched Roland, reading his response. He took a moment, eyes studying the table top as he worked out his mind. He finally looked up at her and nodded slowly.

"Yes, I'll help you. I think we got snowed back then, and maybe now enough time has passed that we can find the truth."

"Where do we start?" Gibbs asked.

"You never saw the man's face that shot your family?" Rayford asked. Devin looked at him and shook her head from side to side.

"No, I only heard his voice. I was shot from behind," Devin replied softly. "Why?"

"Sketch artist. But if you didn't see him it won't help any," Rayford replied with a shrug. "Did you bring the tape with you?"

"Yes," Eddie replied tapping his finger to his jacket pocket. "Brought a copy we had dubbed."

Devin looked at Eddie and frowned. She hadn't known he had done that. He must have had it made in the lab after he sent her home that day. She looked away then and landed her eyes on Roland.

"Where to from here?" She asked.

"We get on that tape, easiest way to catch this guy is to ID the voice, we'll have a listen, have the lab rats play with it, maybe come up with something. Meantime, we look at the case your dad was working on. I think RHD closed it so it should be in records; I can have the file pulled. We start finding out who else worked those cases, see what they remember. Twenty years is a long time but who knows maybe we get lucky," Roland replied tiredly.

"Sounds like a plan," Gibbs nodded. "Eddie give him the tape and let's get started on this."

"I got a player over here," Rayford said standing and moving towards the front of the room. He grabbed a clunky looking tape player and brought it back, placing it in the middle of the table. Devin sat back into the chair and prepared herself for what she was about to hear. After Eddie handed the tape to Rayford his hand sought out Devin's slipping his fingers into hers. She looked down at the contact and licked her lips; glad he was next to her.

Rayford depressed the play button and the tape player came to life with the voices of the interview. Devin closed her eyes and shut her ears. She didn't want to hear it again, afraid of what it might bring. Eddie's hand tightened on hers and she nodded slightly telling him it was ok. She would endure it for the good of the investigation.

Everyone was absolutely quiet as they listened to the tape. Devin opened her eyes and began watching Roland for reactions. But nothing about his body language suggested he recognized the voice. She could tell he was thinking hard about it and trying to place it to someone who had been around twenty years ago, but that was a long time.

Rayford was busy taking notes, and Devin glanced at the pad to see what they were about. She saw he was making a pattern of the man's speech, something that could be used to identify where he was from, and who he was. Devin was relieved that she was getting help now. This would make things that much easier.

Finally Roland had heard enough of the tape and pushed the stop button. Rayford looked down at the notes he had taken, and Devin stared at the wall trying to maintain the outward appearance of calmness. She felt she was failing with each passing second, the panic and pain threatening to overtake her. The only comfort she was taking was the slow movements of Eddie's thumb over her knuckles.

"Ok. Let's get that to the lab, Rafe. I'll make some calls and get that RHD file on Dunny's last case pulled. We can use this conference room as a base of operations, nothing's going to be happening in here for awhile," Roland replied standing up. Devin watched Rayford stand and pull the tape out, walking out of the room with it.

"What can we do to help?" Gibbs asked. Roland looked around the table, his face thoughtful.

"Until I can get a hold of that file sit tight," Roland replied with a shrug.

"What about Alex Jordan," Devin asked drawing Roland's attention.

"What about him?"

"Can we talk to him? Will he come down here and talk to us? He's going to know the most about what was going on," Devin countered. Roland stared at her for a long moment before he answered.

"My plan is to call him after I call records. I don't know how he'll react; he's a deputy chief now. But I'm going to try, ok?"

Devin nodded. It was a start. They were moving again and the strain seemed to be lifted for the moment. She still felt the immense weight of her emotions but the load from the case was being dispersed. She didn't want to simply sit and wait, but knew at this moment it would be better for Rayford and Roland to make the next moves. They were LAPD, they had right to move within, and more people would be willing to talk to them then four outsiders.

She settled into the chair and let out a soft sigh. Things were going to be ok she told herself, this was going to turn out ok. Something in the back of her mind held out, laughing at her. A new nervousness ticked in her stomach, too much was unknown. The seriousness of a possible cover up had her irate inside, but she calmed her exterior. It wouldn't be good to lose it with emotion right now, the case was more important.


	20. Chapter 20

It took Captain Watson five hours to get the file out of records. Devin was getting restless as they had to wait. She wanted to keep moving, and continually badgered Rayford, but all he could tell her was to be patient, eventually they would get it.

And eventually they had. Splitting up the file they dug into the case against Drogan. Captain Watson had contacted Deputy Chief Jordan, and the call had lasted almost an hour. The door had been closed and no one knew what had been said, but Devin could see through the window that Watson was upset on the phone.

His attitude was terse and tense when he exited his office and he didn't stop to talk to anyone, except to say something to Rayford before he left the bullpen area with his jaw clenched and his eyes hardened. Devin asked Rayford what was going on but he simply shook his head and told her to go back to the conference room.

Now she sat reading about the first three murders in the case against Drogan, a case her father had helped to put together. She felt the tightness in her chest as she read through his work, but forced herself to concentrate on the facts in front of her. She needed to sideline the emotion if she was going to survive this roller coaster ride fate had strapped her to.

Nathanial Abraham Drogan was nowhere near a saint, but Devin could tell why her father had only tagged him with the lesser of the murders. Kate had been right; the murders Drogan had admitted to doing were the first three. Someone was trying to tag onto his count, and it had worked.

Drogan had admitted to killing three people, two women and a man, all in Hollywood. They were the first three murders in the timeline, all making headline news because of the nature of the crimes. Although the victims were never identified, it was not because he had done anything to make sure it was impossible. He had tortured his victims, burning, biting, and other various forms, but he had not beheaded two of his victims, and all three still had their fingers. The third victim was beheaded, but Drogan had not removed the head from the scene.

Every interview conducted with Drogan sang the same tune. He didn't know his victims; he picked them at random, but did know all three were homeless. He stalked his victims to make sure they didn't have anyone that would report them, would keep them for about a week, torture them, and then kill them. It was a game for him, stalking, hunting, torturing, killing, but he adamantly refused his involvement in the other seven killings.

Devin wished she could hear the emotion in the words, but it was hard to discern what was happening from transcripts. There were no tapes of the interviews kept in the file. A solid forensic case, including fingerprints, was built against Drogan for the first three people. After an hour of reading Devin dropped the file and rubbed at her eyes. She looked up at everyone else.

"Drogan was good for the first three victims. Progressively grew bolder in his torture, finishing with beheading. Nothing was dismembered like the others though," Devin replied. "But he was sloppy, left prints, evidence behind."

"There were a total of three murders in Rampart that were accredited to Drogan," Kate replied. "He denied all three saying he worked in Hollywood exclusively. Each body was beheaded, and both hands were removed, neither head nor hands were ever recovered. There was evidence of torture, burning, cutting, and the like."

"The one murder in Wilshire was the same, Drogan denied. The body was found headless, handless, and severely mutilated. It was the final body attributed to Drogan," Gibbs picked up. "The body had been dropped; they never found the original crime scene. Figured Drogan had killed the victim in Hollywood and dropped him in Wilshire to throw off suspicion."

"Two bodies were found in North Hollywood over two years time. Neither were identified, both missing head and hands, massive amounts of torture," Eddie added. "Looks like they dropped it on Drogan because of the torture. Lead detective described it as 'the most brutal crime scene he had processed in his career'."

"This doesn't make sense though," Devin replied. Everyone looked at her. She thought a moment then continued. "I can see why they dropped these on Drogan, but I can also see why dad didn't think he did it."

"Explain," Eddie said.

"Well, Drogan admits to the first three killings. Look at the dates, almost five years later they nail him on the account he gets busted on a robbery, and his prints hit the flag on the unsolved murders."

"Yeah?" Gibbs asked.

"Only two of these murders happened close to the same time frame that Drogan's three murders occurred. Where was Drogan for those four years when the other murders happened? How come he stopped killing people? And who taught him to clean up? I mean he was sloppy the first couple, but then fourth through ten he leaves no prints, nothing?" Devin thought out loud.

"Maybe he didn't. Maybe he killed these people," Kate replied. Devin shook her head slowly.

"No, I don't think he did. Dad's right, the other seven murders were more brutal, more in-depth, involved. Maybe evolution, but…"

"I see what you mean, he would have made a serious jump from three to four," Kate said. "So someone tagged him."

"Because his murders grabbed headlines. Each of the first three murders made news," Devin replied.

Rayford walked into the conference room and everyone stopped and looked up at him. He was carrying a carrier full of coffee cups and a bowl of sugar and cream. He set both down on the table as he slid into a chair. Everyone grabbed a cup of coffee.

"How is it going so far?" Rayford asked before sipping his coffee.

"Still working the case out," Gibbs said. "Let's get some names. Who worked what cases and run it down."

"Dad and Kaine worked two of the three for Drogan before picking up the third one from Detectives Fuller and Baker," Devin read off the report.

"Rampart's cases were handled by a bunch of people. I got seven different detectives named, Young, Hardin, Wexler, Gonzales, Rudolph, Corbin, and Rodriguez," Kate rambled off.

"Wilshire was worked by Tomayo and McAllister," Gibbs added.

"Same dicks grabbed both in North Hollywood, Griggs and Wolinkowski," Eddie replied.

"Then three from Robbery Homicide Division worked it when they took over, Valentine, Cordona, and Oliver. Know any of them, Rafe?" Devin asked. He slowly nodded his head.

"Yeah, well I know guys with those last names. I'll have to match badge numbers to find out which ones were working," Rayford replied.

"Let's get on that, I want to talk to whoever I can as soon as possible," Devin continued.

"Yeah, let me go make some phone calls. I'll get a list of contact information and we can get started," Rayford stated copying down the badge numbers from the files. He then moved from the room back to his desk. Devin looked around and felt the pressure of the day.

"You ok?" Gibbs asked across the table. She looked up to make sure he was speaking to her and blew out a deep breath.

"I'll live," she mumbled crossing her arms over her chest. She stared at the table waiting for Rayford to come back.

They had been waiting for almost fifteen minutes when they heard a small commotion in the bullpen area then the Captain's door shut. Devin cocked her head towards the door, but unable to see anything got up from her chair. She walked over and peeked out, feeling the eyes of the rest of the room on her back. Looking towards the Captain's office she saw Watson and another man talking adadmently. She turned around when the door to the office opened and both men moved quickly towards the conference room.

"I think we're getting a Deputy Chief," Devin said as the two men reached the conference room. The new man came in and dropped heavily into the chair at the head of the table, obviously unhappy. He glared at everyone in the room, before Watson had a chance to speak.

"This is Deputy Chief Jordan, former Captain of Homicide at the time frame you are investigating," Watson said. Devin watched Jordan as Watson spoke. The jaw was firmly set, rippling with tension, and anger was deeply embedded in his eyes.

"Everything was done that could have been done back then, these cases are no longer active," Jordan said in a very authoritative voice. Devin felt her blood boil but remained silent in her seat. It was time for Gibbs to take over.

"I'm sure it was, Deputy Chief Jordan," Gibbs replied in a soft calm voice, drawing a deep glare from Jordan. "But we've come to look at the case file and nothing you can do will stop that. We're looking into the death of Duncan Riley."

"Twenty years have gone by, why interest from NCIS now?" Jordan asked angrily. Devin bit back her tongue, studying the man, waiting for him to notice her.

"New evidence has surfaced," Gibbs replied.

"New evidence?" Jordan asked incredulously. "Highly doubtful. We had a witness that didn't remember what happen, and considering what happened that was a good thing. She was only eight years old and barely survived the attack. There were no casings left, we found no prints, no murder weapon, no DNA, nothing."

"Maybe your witness remembered," Gibbs replied calmly, his eyes locked on Jordan's. Devin studied the Deputy Chief's reactions to that statement, and was intrigued by what she saw. Surprise was the first emotion to flash, but then fear, and doubt clouded behind, before the man smiled a knowing smile.

"I doubt it. We couldn't even draw it out with hypnosis," Jordan replied.

"I don't remember being hypnotized," Devin replied shaking her head slowly. "When did you do that?"

Jordan's head snapped sideways to stare at Devin. He studied her intensely, looking for the joke in her eyes. She stared back at him, empty and emotionless, fighting to maintain the outward calm she was projecting. His eyes flashed through a tirade of emotions, his jaw worked, mouth opened and closed, his eyes disbelieving.

"What do you mean?" He asked his voice filled with suspicion. "Who are you?"

"Devin Riley," she stated simply. She was again surprised with his reaction. Fear, doubt, and nervousness exploded momentarily in his eyes before he sucked in a deep breath and calmed his eyes. Licking at nervous lips he smiled weakly.

"You're Duncan Riley's daughter?"

"Yeah, and I remember what happened that night," Devin replied watching his reaction. He was definitely hiding something from her and she was now determined to find out what.


	21. Chapter 21

Gibbs watched Deputy Chief Jordan as Devin revealed who she was. His reactions didn't fit. Fear and doubt clouded the Chief's face, and that told him he was afraid of Devin, and what Devin might bring to the table. What were they hiding? The two were silent for a long moment as they studied each other, Gibbs waiting for Jordan to react. The man pushed from the table and stood abruptly.

"This is absurd," he shouted before glancing at Watson. He then fixed his glare on Gibbs before continuing. "What kind of stunt is this? I've fulfilled my obligation to your Director Vance, Special Agent Gibbs. I promised him I'd listen to you and then decide how much cooperation you'd receive from the LAPD. And I'm utterly repulsed that you would come in here and try to force yourself into a cold case by bringing outlandish claims."

"Who's being outlandish?" Devin asked in a calm and quiet voice. Gibbs let his eyes drift to her, the tone worrying him about her state of mind. He watched her eyes become hard and sharp, predatory in nature. Jordan's head snapped to Devin so quickly, Gibbs thought the man might develop whiplash. His eyes breathed fire, and his face was drawn tight, his skin flushing a brilliant red.

"I'm appalled that you would come here and claim to know what happened to Duncan Riley after all these years," Jordan gnashed out through clenched teeth. Gibbs tilted his head to the side, waiting for the next bout in the match. He knew he would have to stop this soon, but he was very intrigued by Jordan's reactions to Devin.

"Claiming? You think that I'm not who I say I am? Look at me, Jordan, look closely," Devin said in that same eerily calm voice, her eyes had been on the table when she spoke, but as she finished her eyes came up to met his. Gibbs felt his stomach catch as he watched the exchange.

"I never said you weren't who you said you were," Jordan replied tersely. His eyes roamed over Devin quickly, and he swallowed hard. Gibbs watched the other man become nervous. Jordan looked like he was a cornered animal looking for the fastest escape route. Something had him spooked…but what was it?

"Then you're calling me a liar. You're saying I don't remember what I say I do and that I'm making it up…for what…attention?" Devin continued again in that same tone that was sending chills down Gibbs spine. He saw Eddie reach over and put a hand on Devin's shoulder, and the look on the younger man's face told Gibbs he was worried too.

"Devin," Eddie's voice was soft and quiet. Gibbs looked at Watson and the man was ghostly white. He was truly perplexed on Jordan's reaction and had no idea how to react. Gibbs sucked in a deep breath as quietly as he could and stood to match Jordan's height.

"Are you saying NCIS will no longer have the cooperation of the LAPD in this investigation?" Gibbs asked smoothly, his voice low.

"As far as I'm concerned there is no investigation. The FBI took this case years ago, after their agent helping to investigate disappeared. Talk to the FBI," Jordan rumbled, his voice laced with caution and fear. Gibbs' head shifted slightly his eyes locking onto Jordan's. The man was starting to sweat.

"I think I'll stick with the LAPD. Captain Watson has agreed to help us obtain what we need, which we have here. We'll let you know what we find out. And I do plan on contacting the FBI, don't worry about that," Gibbs replied before sinking back into the chair. His steady gaze made Jordan swallow again. He raised his hands in defeat, his face going an even deeper shade of red.

"There's nothing to find, Special Agent Gibbs! Good luck," he ground out before spinning and leaving the room abruptly. All eyes followed him out of the room, before slowly coming back to the center of the table. Watson stood at the head of the table, his eyes downcast pondering what had just happened. He finally brought his attention up.

"I'm sorry," he said softly shaking his head. "I have no idea what that was about."

"He's hiding something, that's what that was about," Devin spat out angrily. "He's covering up something."

"Easy, Devin, we don't know that," Gibbs replied. She shot him a nasty look but he took it in stride. Stress was getting to all of them, but her most of all. He looked up at Watson again. "Thank you for all your help so far, but I understand if…"

"No. I'm in. I told you I'd help, so I'm going to help. His reaction makes me wonder, think about what was going on back then. Things were like that a lot right after, lots of harsh conversations, lots of ruffled feathers."

Everyone looked up as Rayford walked in with a worried look on his face. He closed the door behind him and looked at everyone in the room briefly before taking the seat Jordan had been in. He licked his lips and tossed a folder down on the table.

"That was tense," he said lowly. Gibbs couldn't hide the smile that crossed his lips, understatement of the year he thought.

"You get some names for us?" Gibbs asked nodding towards the folder in front of the LAPD detective. Rayford bobbed his own head before he opened it up and pulled out a sheet.

"Yeah, got some names and numbers for some of the guys. Six are dead, four are still active, two are in nursing homes, two are retired in the area, one retired to Arizona, and the other retired to Oregon," Rayford replied.

"Where do we want to start?" Eddie asked. Gibbs thought the still active men would be easiest to contact.

"The four active men. Where are they stationed?" Gibbs asked quickly. Rayford spun the sheet around so he could read it as he listed the men.

"Jorge Tomayo is still working Wilshire Homicide; Eugene Griggs is working RHD as is Brian Wexler. And Daryl Corbin is working Hollenbeck Homicide," Rayford answered.

"Get on contacting them; let's get them here to talk to them. Maybe they can shed some more light on this case," Kate said quietly. Gibbs nodded.

"Give me their names, Rafe, I'll have their captains send them over," Roland replied tiredly reaching for a pen and paper. Rayford repeated the four active names and then Roland left the room with it.

"What about those that are retired? Can we talk to them too?" Devin asked. Gibbs noticed the ice had left her voice; her eyes were calm, not hard and sharp anymore. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Two are local, two left the area. We can contact them and ask, but it's up to them if they want to be involved or not," Rayford countered with a roll of his shoulders.

"You have contact numbers for them?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, I got numbers and addresses for both. Dawn Hardin lives in Van Nuys, and Pedro Rodriguez stayed in Rampart," Rayford replied.

"Devin can take Rodriguez, Kate you take Hardin. See if they'll talk to us," Gibbs replied rubbing his neck. "Who else is local?"

"Conner Baker and Jesus Gonzales are both listed as residents at nursing homes. Baker is in Wilshire, a nice assisted living place, and Gonzales is in Culver City," Rayford added. "We also have Andrew Wolinkowski in Eugene, Oregon, as well as Benjamin Oliver living in Flagstaff, Arizona."

"Ok, let's concentrate on those that are local. We can deal with the two that are out of state after. We need to get an idea of the state of mind from back then. Jordan is scared of Devin, scared of what she might remember," Gibbs continued tiredly. He was starting to feel the fatigue of the last couple days.

Captain Watson came back in the room at that moment and everyone looked up. His face showed signs that he had lost some of the tension and stress brought on by the meeting with Jordan. He shut the door behind him, closing off the curious onlookers from the bullpen, before taking his seat once again.

"I've got Wexler and Corbin heading in right now, Griggs is off duty but his captain was going to contact him to come in as soon as possible, and Tomayo is at a scene. His captain said he'd send him over as soon as he could," Roland stated.

"Good, that gives us somewhere to start. Devin and Kate get on the two retired detectives that live locally, Eddie, you take the one that lives in Oregon," Gibbs ordered as he felt his cell phone buzz on his belt. His hand absently gripped the offending object and pulled it up so he could see the caller ID. His frown caught Kate's attention.

"What is it?" She asked hesitantly. He glanced at her briefly.

"Tony. I was supposed to check in with him about the case," he said before snapping the phone open and placing it to his ear. "Yeah Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss, I just thought I'd check in with you since you know, you didn't call us about the case or anything," DiNozzo rambled on. Gibbs sighed and motioned for everyone to get started. Kate sat for a moment next to him.

"Yeah, got kind of busy, DiNozzo, I _thought_ you could handle a case on your own," Gibbs replied.

"Right, Boss. And we can, I mean we did. Seems the dead Marine got himself tangled in a drug operation and…" Tony was explaining. Gibbs cut him off, eager to get back to the investigation in front of him.

"Tell the director. I'll catch up later," he growled out.

"Uh, what's going on, Boss?"

"I'm busy right now, DiNozzo," Gibbs said with a tired sigh.

"It's just that you left on a family emergency, then Kate left on a vacation, and neither one called me like you were supposed to and…"

"Goodbye, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he snapped the phone shut. Kate looked at him, her hand coming down on his forearm gently. He looked at her.

"Maybe you should have told him," Kate said softly. Gibbs cocked his head to the side and shook his head.

"He doesn't need to be part of this."

"He could help," Kate shrugged then got up to find a desk she could work at. Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He glanced at his watch and grunted, not realizing how late it was getting.

He stood and walked to the doorway, looking out over the bullpen. There were LAPD detectives milling about, but most of them had disappeared over the last couple of hours. He didn't know if there had been a shift change, or if they had been sent into the city to fight crime, but he noticed the number had dwindled. Kate was sitting at an empty desk with the phone to her ear, apparently on hold with someone. Devin was sitting at Rayford's desk talking to the young detective. Eddie was standing at another empty desk, talking to someone on the phone, and Captain Watson sat in his office with the door open, simply staring at his computer screen.

Gibbs walked to the office, knocking lightly on the open door. Watson looked up and motioned for Gibbs to enter. He dropped himself into one of the two chairs in front of Watson's desk and waited a beat. He was anxious for the other detectives to arrive, but he kept himself calm on the outside.

"What's your thoughts on this?" Gibbs asked the other man. He watched his face closely. Watson's eyes dropped to his desk, his fingers drumming idly as he thought.

"Something went down. I think I knew there was something going on back then, but you know you turn a blind eye when you're scared. We were threatened. My job was who I was. Homicide was where I wanted to be, and I finally got a spot at the table. I hated the reason I got it, I mean I knew Duncan Riley personally and it hit all of us very hard when we heard, but I got my spot at the table.

"I'd been working B and E in Hollywood before I got jumped to Homicide. Big jump, you know, more high profile, the real detective stuff. When we started to investigate, all in, nothing held back, things started happening. Suspicious things. The FBI came in and started helping, even before Agent Jefferson disappeared. The Captain was always getting calls from higher ups, conferences, stuff.

"Three guys from the unit, Steve Bailey, Walter Crum, and Andre Johnson, all got bumped after the FBI guy went missing. I remember they were talking about a cover up, talking about how the FBI was involved, and that LAPD was rolling over on Riley because of it. Bailey ended up in Harbor Division, Crum in Mission, and Johnson in Devonshire."

"What happened to them after the transfer?" Gibbs asked. He suddenly wanted to talk to those three men. They might know more about what was going on back then inside the department.

"You know I've been thinking about that," Watson said with a nod. "They would have known more about what was going on. They were more involved in it than I was."

"Look into where they ended up. You think they are still active on the force?"

"I don't know. Johnson was older, already had twenty years in then. Most guys call it quits at thirty if they last that long, full benefits, no sense to keep pounding it out. Crum was a young guy though, he might still be hanging around, if he survived freeway therapy that is."

"What's freeway therapy?"

"They make you drive over an hour each way to work and back. A lot of guys quit because of the traffic they got to battle to get to work," Watson replied with a heavy sigh. "Worth a try. I'll look them up and see if they're still around."

Gibbs nodded. He didn't have anything else to say so they sat for a moment in silence. Watson suddenly picked his head up and looked around Gibbs, so Gibbs turned in the chair and looked out the door. A man with silver hair, average build and height, and dark brown eyes had stopped into the bullpen. His eyes were scanning slowly, as he moved cautiously towards the captain's office.

"I think that's Wexler from RHD," Watson said as he stood.


	22. Chapter 22

"My name is Devin Beck. I'm working with LAPD. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Mr. Rodriguez," Devin said politely into the phone.

"You said you're with LAPD, huh? Something wrong with my benefits?" The elder gentleman's gravely voice drifted into her ear.

"Oh no, sir. I'm working with the LAPD on a case and your name came up. I was wounding if you'd be willing to discuss it with me."

"A case? I've been retired for almost ten years now, ma'am. Not sure what case would have brought my name up."

"It's a murder case that happened over twenty years ago. New evidence has surfaced and we're going over everything that happened back then, seeing what everyone remembers."

"New evidence, eh. Who claims they didn't do it this time? I'm sorry but I don't know if I'd be much help that was a long time ago to remember."

"I understand. But you might remember this case. The victim was never identified, because the head and hands were missing. He had been tortured," Devin continued calmly and quietly. She heard the sharp intake of air on the other end.

"That case was handed off to a couple guys in Hollywood and I think eventually ended up in RHD's capable hands. Hank and I only worked it briefly, seemed was the work of a serial killer that they locked away if memory serves," Rodriguez's voice shook at her.

"I understand that case was upsetting, but do you think…"

"Upsetting?" The old man rattled at her. "It was the most awful thing I have ever seen in my life. That body…what was left of it…the coroner said he was alive when those cuts were made. _Alive_. They caught that sick bastard. He's in jail."

"I understand, Mr. Rodriguez, but we'd still like to ask you about what happened back then. Would you be willing to talk to me about the case?" Devin asked. There was a long silence and her heart sank as she thought Rodriguez would hang up on her but finally the old man's voice came back to her.

"I don't know what I could tell you but if you think it will help with your new evidence then yes. I will talk to you about this. This case shook Los Angeles back then. All those murders did. Ten people, all severely mutilated, and none were ever identified. Something like that shakes people to the core. Hank and I got a call out on a Friday night for that particular body. It was very late; I remember that, being woken up."

"What did you find at the crime scene?"

"What was left of the body was heaped in a dumpster in an alley. A street kid found it because the fluids had started to drip out the bottom of the dumpster. The garbage service had emptied the dumpster earlier that evening. They pulled the pieces out and took them to the morgue. Dr. Williams did the autopsy."

"Did you ever have a suspect? Before it went to Detectives Riley and Kaine?"

"No. Nothing. There was no trace on the body; no finger prints, nothing on the dumpster that we could use. It was all mess, so many people's smudges and partials we couldn't get anything useful. After a week and a half of nothing, the other reports started coming in."

"Other reports?"

"Yeah, more bodies, and someone downtown got nervous and started pulling cases, giving them to that Riley and Kaine. Shame what happened to that family. I didn't know Riley personally but what happened to him and his family was simply a shame. And they never caught the guy. Made us all think that maybe they put the wrong guy in prison."

"So the consensus on the Riley murders was that the man responsible for the brutal slayings killed Riley and his family?"

"Yes, for a short time. It was all snuffed out though, the cases were sent to RHD and then to the FBI. You learned to keep your mouth shut," Rodriguez said with sadness. "Sometimes I wonder if we had all kept speaking if things would have gone differently. Shame his murderer got away. Hate to let one of our own fall by the wayside."

"What made everyone shut their mouths," Devin steered the conversation. She heard Rodriguez hesitate.

"What kind of new evidence you find? You find it wasn't that Drogan kid that did the vic in the dumpster?" His voice sounded suspicious and Devin knew she might lose his cooperation.

"We're just trying to get a picture of what happened back then," Devin went on in a smooth voice.

"Things were different back then, ok, Ma'am. You can't just…"

"I understand, Mr. Rodriguez, I'm just asking what had everyone scared."

"Of losing our jobs, benefits, our lives. You see things happening, you steer clear. Riley murdered, that FBI agent vanishes; someone says they put the wrong guy in prison and they end up working follow-ups across town instead of homicide. Once you see that, you keep your head down and go about your daily business."

"So people who spoke out were being disposed of?"

"I think we were afraid that killer would come after us next. Hank, my partner, he told me to just go with the flow. Stay out of it. So I did. Really that's all I can tell you."

"Do you think there was a cover up of Duncan Riley's murder?"

"All I can say is what I've said. I didn't work his case, I worked the one case in Rampart that was connected to the serial killer, and we handed it off."

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Rodriguez, I really do appreciate it," Devin replied knowing that she had lost his cooperation.

"You're welcome, glad I could help," his voice rattled and then the line went dead. Something still had that man scared twenty years later Devin thought as she placed the phone down. She glanced up to see a man come in the bullpen. A few moments later she saw Gibbs and Captain Watson come out of the office and meet the new comer half way across the room.

After a short interaction the three moved towards the conference room. Devin waited a moment before pushing up from the chair she was in and rounding the desk. Making her way across the room towards the conference room she was a little upset at Gibbs for not including her in this interview. She felt she should be involved, in every aspect. Feeling eyes on her she glanced to the side and saw Eddie still on the phone, watching her. She didn't stop.

Once in the doorway she looked around the conference room, Gibbs was back in his chair, Watson at the head of the table again, and the new man was sitting across from Gibbs. All three looked up when she came in and she heard the man suck in a deep breath.

"I'll be," he whispered as his eyes traveled over Devin. She cocked her head to the side and locked eyes with him.

"Detective Wexler, this is Devin Beck. Come on in and take a seat Dev," Gibbs said. Devin noticed that Gibbs hadn't referred to her as a Riley, but she figured Wexler already had figured out who she is.

"Beck. Woulda sworn you'da called her Riley."

"Once upon a time," Devin said softly as she slid into the chair next to Wexler. Wexler studied her once more and nodded his head.

"Can I ask what's going on here? Captain Dillard said I needed to come talk to Captain Watson about a case, but he didn't elaborate. Now you hit me with a ghost."

Devin looked up at Gibbs, but he was staring at her. She took a deep breath before she addressed Wexler. "Detective Wexler, you worked Rampart Division twenty years ago?"

"Yeah," he said hesitantly. "What's this about?"

"We're looking into a case from back then," Devin continued but Wexler cut her off.

"Whoa, whoa. Twenty years ago was a long time ago, but I can guess what _you_ want to ask me about. I worked with your dad you know. I was part of the team put together after they connected all those horrible murders."

"You worked on more than just the body in Rampart?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah. I actually worked on two of the three in Rampart unofficially, so they just pulled me into the team that they put together. I came in over here, started pulling shifts at Hollywood while the team was together. But when we got Drogan it all fizzled out."

"You think Drogan was good for all ten of the bodies you found?" Devin asked softly. She watched Wexler for a reaction and saw the hesitation in him.

"We got a conviction," he said slowly, his shoulders rolling slightly.

"That's not what I asked."

"Look, Watson, you know what it was like back then, shit was going on that made us say, yeah Drogan did it, he's good for it. Then with Dunny going down, and that prick Jefferson AWOL, we all went back to our lives."

"But do you think Drogan was good for all ten murders?"

"No," Wexler replied with a sigh. His hand rubbed over his mouth and jaw. "I don't. I didn't back then, but we were outnumbered, and the pressure from the top was coming down on Jordan and that other guy, what was his name."

"Who?" Watson asked.

"Ah, he was gone before you came in to Hollywood and got mixed up in all this bullshit. Damn, what was his name? He was FBI or something, some form of alphabet soup. I don't remember."

"What was he doing on the case? What was his job?" Gibbs asked intrigued.

"Wait," Devin said softly stopping Wexler from continuing. Wexler looked at her with curiosity. "Why is Jordan so pissed off that I remember what happened the day my family died, and that we are investigating Drogan?"

"Well…ah…Jordan knew a lot of what happened back then. He was directly involved with Jefferson and that other guy. Man I wish I could remember his name. Anyway, Jordan was one of the people pushing the hush up. He transferred some guys, brought new guys in."

"What would we be able to find on Drogan that scares Jordan?" Devin continued.

"I don't know, just that some of us thought Drogan was only good for three murders," Wexler shrugged.

"How come you're so willing to cooperate?" Devin asked.

"You look like your mom," Wexler said with a sad smile. "I knew your family."

"I talked with Pedro Rodriguez a few minutes ago on the phone."

"You talked to Roddy?"

"If you can call it that. He was reluctant, like he was still being gagged by someone."

"Look, I don't know. All I can say is that the forensics on seven of those murders didn't fit with Drogan, but Jefferson and Jordan pushed them. We had Drogan solid on the first three, and then a five year gap, filled with these seven murders. But things didn't fit the brutality of the later murders, his cleaning up. Drogan was a sick puppy, not going to deny that, he stalked and killed those people, but I still don't think he did the other seven."

"Including the ones you worked in Rampart?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah. I protested when they took them over to Hollywood. Part of the reason I got to stay involved. I said from the start that although very similar the differences were too large to ignore."

"Like what?" Watson asked.

"Well for starters, Drogan was sloppy. He left clues behind; it's how he eventually got caught. Now I'm not saying Drogan wasn't out there killing in those years we don't have victims for him, but I just don't think the seven were his. The scenes were cleaned up, no trace, nothing. The heads and hands were never recovered, and the bodies as far as I know were never identified.

"Drogan claimed the first three. Gave us very detailed accounts of hunting, stalking, torturing, and eventually killing those three people. He was very proud of what he had done, and was more than willing to share the details. You mention the others and he'd get agitated and say it wasn't him, he didn't do it."

"Did he get the death penalty?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes. So see, it didn't matter. Once he was convicted of the first three murders its not like he would have had a reduced sentence by denying the last seven. He was a proud man, liked to brag about his work. Just didn't seem to fit."

"My dad didn't think so either," Devin replied softly.

"No, it was one point we agreed on. He was still working the case when he was murdered. I don't know what happened after that."

"But Drogan was already in custody when he was shot?" Devin asked.

"Yes," Watson replied.

"We had Drogan, and had him cold for the first three. But your dad, he wouldn't give it up. Pressure came from the top to close the investigation, to wrap it up and put it to bed. We got the guy so why keep digging. Your dad continued to dig," Wexler explained. "I remember a couple times he knocked heads with Jefferson and that other guy. Always in that immaculate suit."

"You don't remember that other guy?"

"I don't know; he was government in some manner, at least I think. He was kind of in the shadows. Like overseeing but not involved. I don't think he was ever mentioned in reports you know, like he wasn't involved in the investigation from our end, but it just seemed like he was immersed in it from the other side."

"Anything else you think could help us?" Devin asked.

"You looking for who killed the seven people? Or are you looking into the deaths of your family?" Wexler asked.

"My family. I remember what happened that day. Someone my father knew killed them. He came in the house. My dad invited him in and he killed them."

"All I know about that case is that Hollywood didn't get to investigate it very long. I'd been moved back to Rampart about two days after Dunny was killed. They said since Drogan was in custody, and a solid case was being made, the team could be dispersed. I know RHD came swooping in a few days later and stole the case away from the Hollywood boys, and a major funk was caused, but then three guys got bumped and it all quieted down."

"Yeah, I remember the day Jordan said RHD would take the case," Watson replied.

"Let me make some inquiries. I can talk to a few guys see what was going on downtown during this time period, find out who was sweeping Dunny under the rug and why."

"Thank you," Devin said. Wexler cocked his head to the side and smiled. He reached out slowly and laid his hand softly on Devin's arm.

"Your dad was my friend," Wexler said before standing up.


	23. Chapter 23

Wexler hadn't been gone a minute when Rayford popped his head into the conference room. Devin looked up at him with weary eyes, before checking her watch. It was growing late in the day. Fatigue from the two previous days, coupled with the emotions of the day was catching her quickly.

"Detective Daryl Corbin from Hollenbeck Homicide," Rayford said as he stepped aside and a tall evenly built man walked in behind him. He nodded towards Captain Watson.

"Captain Travis said I should talk to you, Captain Watson. Can I ask what this is about?"

"Have a seat, Corbin. This is Special Agent Gibbs and Devin Beck. Thry're here from NCIS looking into an old case."

"What case?"

"It's a murder that happened twenty years ago that you worked on while in Rampart," Gibbs explained.

"That why Wex just walked out? You asking him about this too?" Corbin asked wearily. Devin watched him closely. So far he had given no indication that he knew who she was. Most likely he hadn't had much contact with her father. She wondered what his reaction would be if they had dropped the name Riley, but decided not to push it.

"Yes we asked Detective Wexler about it too," Devin replied. Corbin looked at her with a nod, but she could tell he was suspicious.

"What's NCIS doing with a twenty year old case?"

"Just looking into a few things, might help us on a current case we're running," Gibbs continued.

"Alright, what can I do to help?"

"We're looking into the Drogan killings," Gibbs replied and Devin was shocked to see the other man's reaction. His face hardened and a light redness swept across him. He seemed to lick his lips a couple times before swallowing.

"I can't help you. I was only on that case one day, and then we gave it to Wex and Hank. They handled all that, he'd know. I'm no help to you," Corbin said in a flat voice, his eyes fixed on the center of the table. Devin looked at Gibbs.

"We just want to know what you thought…"

"I told you I can't help you. If that's all you want, I just got off shift and would like to go home," Corbin rose and walked out. Devin watched him go before turning her gaze back to Gibbs. Rayford stood dumbfounded at the edge of the table while Roland jumped up and followed Corbin out.

"What was that about?" Rayford asked.

"He's still scared from twenty years ago. He was probably more involved than he said, but he's too scared to say," Gibbs replied. "What else do we have?"

"I spoke with both the nursing homes of Baker and Gonzales. We might be able to speak with Gonzales if he agrees, but Baker is out of the question," Rayford replied with a sigh.

"What's wrong with Baker?" Devin asked.

"Advanced dementia. He doesn't even know his own kids anymore," Rayford said with a hint of sadness.

"I spoke with Rodriguez over the phone. He wasn't too helpful either," Devin replied with a shrug. "Looks like Detective Wexler is our best lead so far. When are the other two going to be here?"

"Tomayo could be all night, or could be on his way. Last I heard he was at a scene. Griggs was supposed to be contacted at home to come in," Rayford replied.

"Ok, we talk to them, and then we call it a night. It's getting late," Gibbs replied with a nod. "Let's see what Eddie and Kate have."

The three filed out and saw Roland coming back into the bullpen with his cell phone pressed to his ear. Devin moved towards Kate, and saw Eddie rise from the desk he was at to join them. Gibbs came up behind him while Rayford retreated to his own desk.

"Get anything, Kate?" Devin asked with a sigh.

"I spoke with Dawn Hardin. She retired from the police force about eight years ago, settled in a nice part of Venice Beach. She worked one of the bodies in Rampart briefly, said she remembers that night, wishes she didn't, but that she didn't work the case very long. She happened to be going on leave and passed it off to Hank and Wex, AKA Henry Young and Brian Wexler. That's all she gave me."

"Eddie?" Devin asked as she turned to face her partner. He shook his head slowly, blowing out a breath as he did so.

"Spoke to Benjamin Oliver in Flagstaff Arizona. He's quite the fireball and asked me more questions than I could ask him. I think he'd be willing to talk, but not over the phone, and especially after he learned I was sitting in Hollywood Precinct's building," Eddie added with a shrug. "But I think if someone were to meet face to face with him, he could really shed some light on what was going on in RHD twenty years ago."

"Wish we could do that over the phone," Devin replied shaking her head. "Hard pressed to get someone to Flagstaff and still stay on top of things here."

"I could fly on over," Eddie replied softly, his hand on her elbow. "Talk to him."

"This is getting expensive for you," Devin answered. She purposely looked him in the eye showing him she was sorry for that. Devin looked away in time to see Kate give Gibbs a look. She glanced over her shoulder at her uncle. "Problem?"

"We could use NCIS to send Tony to Flagstaff," Kate stated. Devin watched Gibbs tilt his head to the side slightly, his eyes going a shade darker in blue. She wondered why he didn't agree with her suggestion and turned around fully to face him.

"Devin said no more agents than you or me," Gibbs pointed out. Devin watched him long enough for his eyes to dart to her. "Right?"

"Right," Devin replied softly remembering her statement.

"I said I'd go," Eddie said before looking over at Rayford. "Hey, Rafe, how far to drive to Flagstaff from here?"

"I don't know, maybe 6 or 7 hours. It'd be quite the drive for an interview," the native replied with a shrug.

"Rules that out. Could fly, be quicker, in and out, back here," Eddie continued. "Up to you, Kiddo, your call."

Devin felt the despair; she didn't want Eddie to leave. She knew it was stupid, they could be apart for a day it wouldn't kill her, but he was the rock holding her up. The thought that he would be gone made her weak inside and she didn't like that. She closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath. She was about to answer him when Captain Watson snapped his phone shut and came up to them, saving her.

"That was Eugene Griggs. He's not coming in. He said that Deputy Chief Jordan told him he didn't have to talk to you guys unless he wanted to," Watson said with a clenched jaw.

"So we've spoken with 3 of the active cops, both local retirees, and the one from Flagstaff and one possibly two of them are willing to help us. Low odds," Kate said.

"Which makes the one in Flagstaff that much more important," Eddie added.

"Who's in Flagstaff?" Roland asked.

"A Benjamin Oliver, worked," Eddie began.

"RHD twenty years ago," Captain Watson finished.

"Yeah, you know him?" Gibbs asked.

"Knew of him back then. He was around when all the case snatching was going on; didn't actually know him personally though."

"Well we still need to talk to Tomayo, but my guess is that Jordan will get to him too," Devin said stifling a yawn.

"Seems that way. All these guys are still afraid of what happened back then. Except Wexler. He's willing to help. And maybe Oliver," Gibbs added.

"Rafe," Roland barked. The younger Watson stood up from his chair and moved closer to the cluster.

"Yeah?"

"Go to Flagstaff and find Benjamin Oliver. Talk to him," Captain Watson ordered and Devin felt something shift inside her, she need to talk to Oliver, he needed to see her face.

"No need, Captain," Devin interrupted with a sigh. She looked at Eddie for a moment and made a snap decision. Kate and Gibbs could handle the LA side of the investigation for a day. If Eddie had felt Oliver would open up, then she should be the one to talk to him. He was in RHD, he was around, and had investigated her family's murder. He might feel a connection to her, just like Wexler did. All eyes were on her when she continued. "Eddie and I will be flying to Flagstaff tomorrow for the interview."

"I can get tickets through NCIS," Gibbs said softly and Devin nodded. He then walked away from the group, pulling his phone out as he did.

"You sure?" Eddie asked her softly and she could only nod. She needed to face this, to see the players in this and see his reaction to her.

"I want to see his reactions," Devin replied softly. Eddie bobbed his head.

It was another half hour before the four managed to leave the police station and head back towards their hotel. They grabbed a quick meal from a drive thru located across the street from their rooms, before retiring. Devin lay sprawled on her back staring at the ceiling wondering why all this happened now. But most of all she was stuck on the tape of the interview.

Who had that man been? Why was he interviewing Eriksson, but more importantly why didn't there seem to be a log of this interview? There was nothing on the tape to identify the man, nor was there a transcript telling them who he was. It was if the man didn't exist, yet the voice had definitely triggered the onslaught of memory in her mind. He was the key to all this but they had no luck finding out who he was. The closest they were was Wexler saying someone else besides Jefferson was around that might or might not have been with the FBI. Possibly he was with another agency, but no name appeared on ANY report to suggest another person was involved in the case, that they couldn't account for. She knew that finding that man, the man Wexler had talked about, would open this case up. But it was finding that man that seemed to be the problem.

"What's on your mind?" Kate's voice drifted into her subconscious. She flipped her head to the side and stared at the other woman.

"The mystery man that killed my family. Why was he interviewing Eriksson, and why is there no record of the interviewer? I think the guy Wexler mentioned is the guy on the tape."

"Wexler mentioned a guy?" Kate asked. Devin explained everything Wexler had told them in the conference room, including his offer to help. When they were done discussing it both were beyond exhaustion. Devin drifted off to sleep thinking about everything that had happened in the last three days.


	24. Chapter 24

Devin sat in the rental car comparing the numbers on the houses to the address they had for Benjamin Oliver. The trip to Arizona had been a tricky one, but they had managed to at least find the street they were looking for. In order to leave earlier in the day and get there, before dinner time, they took a flight with a stop in it. Flying from LAX they had landed in Phoenix, with an hour and a half layover before taking a turbo prop from Phoenix to Flagstaff.

Once on the ground in Flagstaff they had set out with directions from the counter, not having a GPS in the car. Half way on their journey Devin had announced to Eddie that they should have paid the extra fee for the GPS unit because they were helplessly lost. Eddie had chuckled and shrugged, causing Devin to punch him in the arm.

Pulling into a parking lot Eddie had pulled a map out and the two of them had studied it until they found the street they were looking for, and then proceeded to plot their course. Running about two hours behind schedule they had pulled onto the road Oliver lived on.

"That's it there," Devin said pointing to a nice Spanish style single story house. Eddie glanced at the place before nodding and easing the car to the curb.

"Let's see if Mr. Oliver will speak with us," Eddie said. "Maybe this whole ordeal was just a waste of time."

"Let's hope not," Devin said with a smile and got out of the vehicle. She headed to the door and felt the butterflies bouncing around in her stomach. Taking a calming breath she paused slightly when she reached the door, waiting for Eddie to catch up with her, and then knocked pointedly. She always smiled when she knocked, most people always told them they knew it was the police; just by the way they knocked on your door.

As the door opened Devin studied the older man on the other side of the screen door. She was slightly surprised but what she saw, thick hair still blonde, cut short. His eyes were a liquid blue that seemed to pierce her, catching the light with a twinkle. As she studied him, she saw he was also studying her. She saw his eyes go from confusion to recognition.

"Holy sweet mother of Jesus," he whispered under his breath. "Guess I know why the boy was asking bout those cases yesterday."

"That would have been me, Mr. Oliver," Eddie offered from behind Devin.

"And you, you have to be related to Duncan and Bridget Riley. Sweet Jesus you look just like her," Oliver said to Devin. Devin nodded momentarily at a loss for words. She recovered quickly.

"Yes, Mr. Oliver. They were my parents," Devin replied. "We wanted to discuss further with you what Detective Miller talked to you about yesterday."

"Devin. You want to know what happened to your family. You are LAPD now? You join the force in your father's footsteps?"

"Sort of, Mr. Oliver. I'm actually with Baltimore PD," Devin replied.

"Miller said LAPD yesterday," Oliver replied with slight suspicion. "He work for them?"

"Not exactly," Eddie replied. "I'm her partner."

"Look, we are working with LAPD and NCIS on this. New evidence has surfaced and they both are looking into," Devin was explaining.

"Come in out of the heat, we're letting the AC out with the door open. And besides that asshole Jordan already called me last night, told me not to talk to you about anything," Oliver cut her off, standing to the side and opening up the screen door for them. Devin nodded slowly and stepped inside the house followed by Eddie.

They were seated in Oliver's living room, sitting in silence for a moment as Devin composed her thoughts. She felt dread inside, he had said Jordan already contacted him. But he wouldn't have let them in his house if he had no intention of talking, would he? Her thoughts were interrupted.

"Must want something pretty bad to travel all the way out here from LA to see me," Oliver said as his eyes roamed over Devin.

"I think I remember you," Devin said suddenly. She was getting flashes of memory, of a younger version, of the man before her. "You worked with my dad some maybe."

"I knew your father quite well, young lady. We were friends, it tore me up inside when they found…"

"I remember now. I remember what happened that night. You…you were the one in my hospital room, trying to draw out what happened. That was you wasn't it?"

"Yes. I was the one that thought everything hinged on what you saw, heard, knew. But that prick Jordan was railroading Donovan, and then Deputy Chief Andrews stepped in as well. FBI came crashing in and took the case from us."

"Funny you should mention heard," Devin said with a sad smile.

"How so?"

"All this was triggered by a voice, my memory, reopening the case, everything."

"Who's voice?" Oliver asked leaning forward his interest peaked.

"You really did care what happened to my family didn't you?"

"Damn fucking right I did," Oliver said with anger. "I told you Dunny was my friend. We had worked several cases together when RHD had worked with the local division on cases. He was a good man, and it was his relentless nature that got him killed. I wanted to know who did it; because I thought at the time it connected directly into the case I had recently pulled from him."

"Nate Drogan?" Eddie asked causing Oliver's head to snap towards him.

"Yeah…it…we had a case against Drogan, and Hollywood did a good job of building most of it. Kaine, Dunny, and that FBI guy Jefferson put ten murders on Drogan. Closed the case, but then afterward Dunny came to me. He wanted to keep going on it; said seven murders just didn't fit. He thought the FBI was pushing hard on the last seven, to group them with Drogan."

"And what did you do?" Devin asked.

"I helped him. We started to really look into the murders, we talked to Drogan. We took verbal onslaughts from Captains Donovan and Jordan and eventually the Deputy Chief came in and told us to hang it up or be fired. I tried to talk Dunny out of pushing, but he just couldn't let go. The night he was killed, he had left a message for me at the station. I was on a call that night and didn't get it until very late. He wanted to talk to me about something, sounded like he had found something out that might figure out who was covering. It was late, thought I'd call him the next morning…but he was dead before then."

"And after he died…what was it like around there?" Devin asked.

"Hollywood had the case initially, but then we swooped in and took it over on the authority of Deputy Chief Andrews. He then set up a joint operation with the FBI in Agent Jefferson to look into the murder. But we didn't. And it pissed me off. I was continually told the FBI was handling it, but nothing ever came across our desks that suggested they were making headway. So I decided to investigate on my own."

"We talked to a Brian Wexler yesterday," Devin continued.

"I remember Wex. Young buck, good kid though," Oliver commented.

"And he mentioned a man in the shadows that he couldn't remember what they called him or who he worked for but he was pretty sure it was an agency with initials," Devin finished.

"Initials. Everything goes by initials, makes it easier when you gotta say em all in a row. Might have been a guy hanging back in the shadows, but I don't remember anyone. It was pretty chaotic and I was more interested in busting Donovan and Jordan's asses for giving away one of our own and rolling over on him. Specially Dunny."

"What made you quit chasing the truth?" Devin asked curiously. Oliver's mouth quirked into a small smile, before it slowly grew into a toothy smirk of a grin. He then undid the top three buttons of his shirt and pulled it to the side exposing three bullet scars on his chest and shoulder.

"You get threatened multiple times, then they follow through…you cut and run. I had a wife and kids to think about and here I was in the hospital with bullets in me. I couldn't prove who did it, but I had an idea of why I had been targeted."

"They tried to kill you?"

"Something horrible went down in the LAPD twenty years ago and some top ranking officials rolled over with the FBI to keep it quiet. Those murders were brutal and I think they _KNEW_ who was doing it, but they didn't want it public so they covered it up and pinned it on a guy going to the gas chamber anyway. Didn't matter if Drogan killed three or ten, either way he was getting the death penalty."

"So who did they suspect was the killer?" Eddie asked.

"I don't know, but I think Dunny did. I think that's why he wanted to talk to me that night; he wanted to tell me who he thought had done it. I think he found out who it was and that's what got him and his family killed."

"And you never found anything that suggested what he was thinking?" Devin asked.

"No, unfortunately."

"It's just funny," Devin mumbled.

"What is?" Eddie asked as Oliver stared at her.

"Dad wrote a lot down. He wrote so much in those notebooks. I mean, you read them Eddie you saw what he wrote down. There was no mention of _who_ he thought did those other seven, or that he was even pushing."

"I remember those notebooks. Your dad always had a notebook with him, writing stuff down all the time," Oliver commented with a sad smile.

"So everyone knew about the notebooks?" Devin asked suddenly.

"Yes, it wasn't a secret that your dad kept those," Oliver replied.

"Eddie, we found all that about Drogan…it was the end of the notebook. We thought it was because he died…that he stopped writing and that there just wasn't another notebook. What if someone stole it? What if _that_ was what that man wanted that night? He wanted the notebook…and…"

"His name was written down inside," Eddie finished. "Might be. Would explain why you heard him asking for something."

"You think my dad was killed because he knew who the killer was, Mr. Oliver?" Devin asked the older man. He studied her for a long moment, his eyes clouding with memory.

"Yeah, it was a good possibility, but like I said I got snowballed back then and after getting shot at, friend or not, it wasn't worth my own life. I'm sorry, kid."

"I understand," Devin said softly as her eyes searched the carpet. She brought them back up to Oliver. "You're sure you don't remember a man in the shadows, involved but not officially?"

"No, sorry. There were a lot of people involved in all this back then. This old memory isn't what it used to be."

"Do you remember them doing hypnosis on me?" Devin asked suddenly. Oliver's confusion was enough to make her believe he didn't understand what she was asking. "Just that Jordan said something about it when we met with him. I don't remember it, but my memory is hazy from back then."

"As far as I know we didn't hypnotize you, but it's possible the FBI did without my knowledge," Oliver continued as he shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't uncommon back then; the laws regarding using testimony gained through hypnosis weren't what they are now."

"Maybe they did. Maybe that's how they found the notebooks," Devin said quietly almost to herself. She felt Eddie's hand settle on her shoulder. She looked up at Oliver.

"I don't know. It's possible," Oliver replied.

"So do you think Jordan was involved in all this?" Eddie asked.

"He was in covering up whatever they were covering up. He was heavily involved in pushing the cases to the FBI and was attached to Deputy Chief Andrews' hip for the duration. And from his phone conversation this morning I'd say he's still heavily involved."

"Yeah, he got to three guys still on the force. They refused to help us. Wexler was the only guy who went against him," Devin added.

"Who is helping you inside LAPD?" Oliver asked curiously.

"Captain Watson and his son," Devin replied.

"Ah, Ro's a good man. He stepped into your father's spot at the table twenty years ago."

"He and dad went through the academy together. I was good friends with his son," Devin continued. "Seems the only people willing to help are those that knew my dad on a personal level."

"That's because of who your dad was. He was a great man, dedicated to his job and his family. He had the everyone matters or nobody matters attitude and he was a crusader. He was always willing to push to the limit to make the case, but it always held up in court under the toughest scrutiny."

"And that got him, my mom, and my brother killed," Devin said as the first tears slipped from her eyes. She felt Eddie's arm snake around her shoulders.

"Dunny had the best intentions," Oliver said softly. Devin nodded slowly as she calmed her nerves and stopped the tears.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Oliver, you've really helped," Devin said after a deep breath. She stood, and Eddie rose next to her. She shook Oliver's hand before she continued. "We really need to get back to Los Angeles."

"I'm glad I could help. I know Jordan is sweating bullets that you remember what happened that day."

"I don't remember a face though, not sure I even saw one, but I know his voice," Devin said as they reached the door. Pausing she turned towards Oliver. "Thanks again."

Once they were in the car and headed back towards the airport, Devin closed her eyes and tried to assimilate what they had learned from Oliver. Eddie seemed to understand her need for silence and he simply concentrated on driving.

Oliver seemed convinced that Jordan was involved. He also said that the notebooks were common knowledge and that anybody who was around her father would have known about them. He didn't seem to remember the man in the shadows, but didn't deny that there wasn't someone there. Someone close to her dad killed him, of this she was sure.

Whoever was in the house that night wanted something from her dad, maybe it was the notebook with a name written down. But why would her dad refuse to give it up and cause his entire family to be murdered? The answer hit her, because he knew no matter what they were dead. The killer was there that night; the name he had written down was the man who pulled the trigger.

How deep was Jordan involved? She didn't know and that scared her. Maybe he was still covering, but was he covering his own ass or was he covering for a murderer? Or was Jordan the murderer? Her head was spinning and she started to feel a little sick. She sucked in air and leaned her head against the cool side window and tried to stop the cyclone of images bouncing around in her brain. Her thoughts were scattered when she heard her phone chirping. Devin dug in her pocket and answered the call.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh.

"Devin, I've got some bad news," Rayford said causing her gut to clench momentarily.

"What's wrong?" She asked quickly drawing Eddie's attention.

"They found Brian Wexler's body this morning. He was murdered sometime last night," Rayford replied softly. Devin closed her eyes and put a hand to her head.


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Sorry about the long delay...explanation? Well I started this chapter a while ago but the laptop got a virus and I lost it...but in the long run that was good for those of you who are Kibbs fans, because I took a totally different spin on the chapter after loosing most of it...so for Iheartkibbs I give you chapter 25. let me know what ya think. dark rolling sea.**

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Gibbs was frustrated. He was beginning to feel the day was wasted, and only hoped that Devin and Eddie had made progress in Arizona. They had tried to reach Detective Tomayo, but Jordan had already instructed the man not to speak with them. Gibbs was beginning to despise Deputy Chief Alex Jordan.

Now he and Kate sat in Culver City outside the state run nursing care center. They had come down to talk to Retired Detective Jesus Gonzales about what he remembered from the case, and had gotten nowhere. It wasn't that the man had dementia, or even that he had a failing memory. Actually for a man of seventy-eight Gibbs found him in decent mental health. His physical health was another story.

But in the long run, even without Jordan running interference, Gonzales had shut down on them and refused to even discus the case with them. He had grown agitated and the staff had asked them politely to leave the facility.

Leaning against the car, Gibbs replayed the older man's reactions in his mind. Kate was sitting in the passenger side, staring at him, but he didn't take the time to explain to her. He just rolled the interview continuously in his mind. Something was wrong with the reaction; something was keeping the old man from speaking.

Fear was the main component that Gibbs had seen. Something from that time had scared Detective Gonzales, enough to continue to scare him today. Maybe he knew something and had been spared, granted he never opened his mouth. Or maybe, those that had killed the Riley family didn't know Gonzales knew what he knew, and Gonzales aimed to keep it that way.

Gibbs ducked his head, one arm draped over the open car door, the other resting along the top of the frame. He looked at Kate, noting her confused expression as to why they were still in the parking lot and not headed back to the station house. He sighed and shook his head, the interview still bothering him.

"Care to share?" Kate asked tilting her head to the side. Gibbs was momentarily distracted as her hair shifted around her face. He let the distraction carry him briefly before he reeled himself back in and nodded slowly.

"Something off in Gonzales. He knows something about what happened, either in the Drogan case, or the Riley case. But I'm thinking it's all the same now."

"All the same?"

"Whoever killed Riley did it because of the extra work he was doing on the Drogan case."

"Possibly. It could be a number of reasons."

"No, it's too closely linked, especially with the FBI guy missing, and everyone we want to talk to that was involved in Drogan clamping down."

"Ok, for the sake of argument, Riley was killed because he found out who killed the other seven victims. What now?"

"We bring Gonzales in and sweat him," Gibbs said absently, his eyes turning to look out the windshield instead of at Kate. She huffed incredulously drawing his attention back to her.

"Seriously? Gibbs, the guy's like eighty. You're going to drag him out of an old folk's home and sit him downtown in an interrogation room and sweat him without probable cause other than your gut? Good luck with the lawyer that gets a hold of you."

"You got a problem, Agent Todd?" Gibbs asked his voice laced with anger he didn't mean to direct at Kate. He knew it was simply frustration but he couldn't help himself.

"Gibbs, listen, I know that this is all frustrating, but we can't force these people to work with us, and we can't drag an eighty year old man downtown to sweat with no evidence," she replied in a soft tone that made him instantly sorry for his retort. He sighed and nodded in concession. He slipped into the car and sat for a moment thinking. He felt her hand gently land on his shoulder but he forced himself not to look at her. He needed to concentrate and the feeling that shot through his body at the contact was not helping.

"I hope Devin had more luck in Arizona," Gibbs replied. He was still racking his brain on what to do next when Kate spoke.

"Maybe Hollywood has heard from Wexler. He said he was going to check into some things for us, maybe he's got something," Kate said.

"Watson would have called," Gibbs replied absently. What he wanted to do was go in and press Gonzales, but Kate was right, it just wasn't going to happen. "We need to check out Deputy Chief Jordan. Find out everything we can."

He saw Kate nodding but he didn't acknowledge. Her hand was still sitting on his shoulder, rubbing softly in absent circles. Gibbs wasn't even sure if Kate knew she was doing it, but it was driving him crazy. He pushed it out of his mind and focused on the task at hand, dig into Jordan. He was the key in all this.

He pulled his phone out and called Tony. After three harsh barks, he finally got Tony to stop asking questions and relayed his request to the younger agent. Kate tilted her head to the side and dropped her hand. Gibbs noticed the absence of contact immediately.

"Just do it, DiNozzo," Gibbs gritted. He was tired of having to explain himself. "Yeah, Deputy Chief Alexander Jordan, Los Angeles Police Department. And keep it off the radar please…call me back when you have something solid."

After snapping the phone shut, he looked over at Kate with a blank expression. Her eyes were looking right back at him, shinning bright with curiosity. He let the moment hang, sensing the electricity in the car before he spoke.

"I've got DiNozzo looking into Jordan, hopefully he can find something on him that we can use," Gibbs said, just to be saying something because the silence was beginning to make him nervous. He gave himself an internal head slap to try and help focus.

He found Kate probing his face and it made him slightly uneasy, but he kept his face the normal block of stone. He figured it didn't matter, Kate would be able to read his eyes anyway, in a way he never was quite sure how. Unnerved by her sudden scrutiny he looked out the front window to break the spell.

"What?" he asked realizing he was the only one to speak in the last ten minutes. She hadn't uttered a word since before he called DiNozzo, just simply sat staring at him.

"I've seen you work cases," Kate began and Gibbs looked at her. It was his turn to be curious. "I've seen the pit bull latch onto the bone and not let go, I've seen you be relentless in pursuit of a suspect…but this."

She paused, thinking. Gibbs didn't want to interrupt her thoughts. Hell he wasn't even sure he knew what he could say to that. She was profiling him, peeling away the layers, looking at something most people don't get to see and all while he had the hatches buttoned down tight. How this woman was able to do that to him he didn't know, but it amazed him to no end.

"This case is so much more to you," she finished softly. Gibbs rolled the statement over in his mind a moment and thought about it. She was right, this case was so much more to him, and in return so much more frustrating.

"I screwed up with Devin the first time," Gibbs began but stopped. Kate's hand had darted up to his jaw, cupping it gently, her fingertips caressing softly. He closed his eyes at the sudden unexpected contact before swallowing down the heat that rushed his body.

"You didn't screw up, Gibbs," Kate said softly.

"I did. I abandoned her. I didn't even visit, call, or make sure she knew I was in her life."

"But you were still there, in the background. She knows that now."

"But I should have been in the foreground then," he admitted softly. "I let my own grief overrun. Honestly after Nick took her, it was four years before I checked up on her again. Four years."

"You'd just lost your wife and daughter. Your family," Kate reasoned with him, her hand leaving his jaw to scoop up his hand. He looked at her.

"But she had lost so much more," Gibbs replied sadly. "She had _no one_ but me. I dropped her."

Kate didn't have a reply for him so he looked away, their hands still tangled. He liked the feel of her smaller hand in his, something he didn't normally care about. He hadn't sought minor physical affection from a woman in a long time, which was part of the problem with his long list of exes. But none of them had offered the same kind of comfort and electricity that Kate's touch brought.

After a brief hesitation on his part, he quickly swooped over the middle of the car and placed his lips on hers. He had given her no warning and caught her completely off guard. He stilled, waited for her to catch up, and then started to softly move against her. She countered his movements and Gibbs let go and lost himself in the sensations.

Unlike the previous night that had been hesitant and slow, Gibbs felt the need to dive in deeper. He ran his tongue slowly along her lips before she parted and he thrust it forward. She met him with the same intensity and passion and both were lost in the battle of emotion.

He dropped her hand, so he could use his own to tangle in the hair on the back of her head, holding her close, afraid it would all disappear. It was the burning deep in his lungs that made him pull back, his hand lingering in her hair. She leaned against the door and smiled at him shyly. He could feel the grin expanding on his face, and his tongue quickly ran along his lips. Once his breathing resembled something of normal, and he was sure he could trust his voice he spoke.

"I should have done this years ago," he said half to himself as he tried to control the heat of arousal that was assaulting his body. His mind flitted on the back seat of the car for just a fleeting moment before rational thought took over and clobbered him over the head. Kate deserved more than a backseat of a rental car from him, especially a first time. The thought shocked him slightly and it must have shown on his face.

"This kiss or something else?" Kate's voice was full of mischief and he swallow down the desire threatening to turn him into a Neanderthal with a club. He didn't trust himself to answer so he grinned instead. Kate watched him for a moment, but then he noticed the sobering look on her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked as another icicle of fear hit him. He was frustrated with himself with these pangs of fear that continued to assault him around Kate. When did he become unable to keep his emotions in check? Why was he so afraid of someone leaving him? It wouldn't be the first time, and it's not like they'd been involved for a long time.

"Where are we going with this?" Kate asked. Her hand waved around in a circle when she said this and Gibbs thought a moment. He watched her eyes and saw the uncertainty in them. He wanted to sooth it away, to let her know it wasn't just a simple emotional meltdown for him.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Gibbs breathed out in a sigh, the emotions and the fast pace of the last couple days catching up with him. "Since what you said in Dad's kitchen a couple days ago."

"About what?"

"Being happy and what it means to me. About letting go of ghosts, seeing the future for what it is. I think I've seen what is in front of me, and I'm pretty sure I like it," Gibbs replied softly.

"And what is it that you see?" Kate asked and he could hear the worry in her voice. He smiled smoothly, letting the grin light up his eyes as he put his response together.

"You asked where we are going with this. My only answer is wherever you want to take it," Gibbs stated and then sat back against the door frame and waited. He had put the ball in her court. He was still fighting the heat in his body, wanting to reach out and touch her, kiss her. But he managed to control himself. It was up to her now.

He felt her gaze searching him, looking for the answers in his eyes, and for the first time in a long time, he let his defenses down. He gave her everything he could, letting the emotion surface, but he knew in that move that he couldn't hold back part of it, and she would see the arousal in him. He felt the shiver rip through his body as her hand found his thigh just above his knee.

Gibbs watched a small grin expand on her face as she felt the shiver, and he was slightly embarrassed by it and didn't know why. With her left hand still on his right leg, her right hand came up to his chest. Her fingers splayed gently over his heart, and he felt it quicken, pushing blood through his body at a much higher rate than normal. Heat rose in him and he closed his eyes to control it. When he opened them again, she was staring at him and it took his breath away, and caused a ripple to float through his stomach. Arousal enveloped him and he struggled to keep his hands idle.

Her hand moved slowly, brushing ever so slightly against his shirt, towards his shoulder. The soft friction it created against his skin was maddening and he wasn't sure how long he could keep himself in check. One look at Kate and he saw she was rather enjoying what she was doing to him. He cleared his throat and sucked in a deep breath when her left hand skirted up his leg more.

Her eyes dropped from his and he knew what she was looking at. His state of arousal was pretty obvious now and he swallowed hard to clear his head. Kate's hands continued their soft exploration and Gibbs again cleared his throat. He was done holding back. When her eyes came back to his, she let out a sound of surprise at the smoldering she found staring back at her. He leaned forward quickly and crushed his lips on hers, pushing her backwards into her seat. He moved with aggression, claiming her mouth as his. Their tongues danced and dueled for control as his hands roamed up and down her sides, caressing her skin through her shirt.

As he continued to push against her he heard a soft groan escape from her throat. Taking it as a cue, he used his left hand to pull her shirt from the suit pants and then slipped it underneath to feel her heated skin. Her muscles rippled under his touch and he wanted to feel it again. Flatting his palm against her ribs and slowly rubbed upwards feeling her muscles bunch with each inch. He broke contact with her mouth so he could suck in a breath, then slowly kissed a path down her jaw and onto her neck. She arched so more skin was accessible and Gibbs continued his assault.

His hand continued its trek up her ribs and finally made it to his desired destination. He felt her shiver when he closed it around her breast slipping a finger under her bra for skin on skin contact. Her hands came up to his jaw and peeled his mouth away from her neck, forcing him into another tongue dueling kiss. Gibbs didn't deny her. His right hand slipped behind her and his fingertips traced her spine lightly, sending another shiver through her.

Her hands were frantically pulling his polo from his jeans, before she gripped his sides underneath it. He was painfully aware of his arousal now as he continued to kiss her and run his hands along her body. Feeling her fingers run up his sides and over his pecks sent a tumble of butterflies in his stomach as heat raced through him.

His mind was ready to move to the next step but suddenly he panicked and stopped. He pulled back breathing hard and slumped into his seat. Kate looked bewildered, and sexy as hell. She stared at him perplexed and he waited until he could calm himself before he started the car and snapped his seatbelt into place. Kate looked at him curiously, and he could tell she hadn't figured out why he abruptly stopped what was about to happen.

"Not here," he said roughly and Kate seemed to look around for the first time. He saw the slight embarrassment creep into her face and he nodded. Both of them had forgotten they were in a public parking lot, at a nursing home.

The drive from Culver City to their hotel had seemed to take forever, but finally they had made it. Gibbs steered Kate towards his room, shoving the door open and her inside. His arousal had subsided slightly, but not completely. As soon as he had the door shut behind him he grabbed Kate by the arm and spun her into him, resuming where he had left off.

As his mouth dueled with hers in another heated searing kiss, his hands pawed at her shirt. Gibbs was having issues with the buttons and decided it was taking too long and simply pulled the shirt apart. He heard her protest against his mouth but he didn't give her long to think about it. Tossing the shirt to the ground, he removed her bra quickly and dropped his head to her exposed breast.

She let out a soft moan as his tongue flicked over her hardened nipple, before he dropped his mouth to it. Her hands fought distractedly with his buckle as he continued his exploration of her exposed body. His hand dropped down to help her, as she couldn't seem to remove the leather strap. He needed to make more room, his arousal becoming painful again in his pants.

Gibbs finally got his belt undone, as he left her breast and kissed her mouth again. He backed them up towards the bed and pushed Kate down when he reached his destination. He stood a moment and staring at her, before he released his pants, letting them drop to the ground. Kate scooted up fully onto the bed and waited.

Gibbs dropped down onto her, suspending his weight on his arms. She lay cradled under him, his legs on either side of hers. He kissed her lips softly and slowly. The case, the stress, was all forgotten in the moment as he explored her body, something, he suddenly realized, he has wanted to do for a very long time. He gives in and lets his body go on auto pilot, as the sensations wash over him.

Gibbs' mind pulls groggily from sleep. He is slightly confused by aching muscles and the fact that the bed is warm next to him, before his mind snaps to the activity before he fell asleep. A smile crosses his face before it is interrupted by an incessant chirping noise. He glances at Kate before scanning the room, looking for the offending object that awoke him.

It was coming from his pants, the cell phone clipped to his belt, his foggy mind registered. He removed himself from Kate and slid from the bed as carefully as he could. He grabbed his phone a second after the last ring and stifled a curse that would surely wake Kate. He flipped the screen open and frowned as he noticed it was the second call he had missed, only seconds apart. Both had come from a California number. Gibbs hit redial and waited.

"Homicide, Detective Watson."

"Rayford, its Agent Gibbs. You've been trying…" Gibbs started but was cut off by the younger man.

"Detective Wexler was found murdered."

"When?" Gibbs asked as the agent in him kicked into gear. His earlier activities brushed aside for the moment. He noticed Kate stir in the bed after his harsh reply and turned away from her.

"We just got word. I already told Devin. They're on their way back."

"What happened?"

"We don't know yet, just that he was killed sometime late last night to early morning."

Gibbs glanced at the clock on the bedside and frowned. "Then why are we just now finding out?"

"I don't know, but I think you should come on in."

"Yeah, give us twenty," Gibbs replied before snapping the phone shut. Kate's voice behind him caused him to turn around.

"Now that's a sight I could wake up to every morning," she said with a yawn and a smile. But the smile disappeared when she saw Gibbs' face. "What's wrong?"

"Detective Brain Wexler was murdered last night. Get dressed we need to go in," Gibbs replied. He could hear the exhaustion in his voice as he rubbed his neck before grabbing his clothes off the floor. Kate had nodded and was starting to get dressed.


	26. Chapter 26

It actually took Gibbs closer to thirty minutes for them to reach the Hollywood Division station house. When they arrived in the detective's bureau it was once again nearly deserted as only Rayford and two other men were at desks.

Gibbs looked towards the Captain's office and noticed the door shut. He could see two figures inside. As he came closer to Rayford's desk, he could hear that an argument was taking place, but couldn't make out the words. Rayford looked up, his face drawn tight and drained.

"Information is trickling in, but Jordan is in with my dad," Rayford said. Gibbs nodded slowly and perched on the edge of the young detective's desk.

"What do we know so far?" Gibbs asked.

"We didn't hear about it because it took them most of the day to ID him. Once he was positively ID'ed the news spread like wildfire that one of our own was taken down."

"Why'd it take so long to identify the body?" Kate asked. Gibbs was afraid to hear the answer.

"The bastard…he cut Wex up real bad. They rushed the cut, doing it right now. But from the guys working scene it sounded like he had been tortured before he died. They found pieces all over out there I guess. Guy from the ME's office said looked like some parts might've been removed while Wex was still alive. Guys in RHD are fired up."

"This isn't a coincidence," Gibbs breathed as his mind raced. What had Wexler stumbled on? Guilt washed over him, he was killed looking into this for them.

"I got word from one of the crime techs that they found something in his pocket. Had some writing on it, seemed to be Wex's. They were trying to work out what it said. He told me he'd get back to me, but I don't know how long Hollywood's going to be able to keep her finger in it."

"Where was he found?" Kate asked.

"That's part of the problem. The...uh…pieces were found all over on three different divisions. Hollywood, North Hollywood, and Northeast. Everyone is scrambling on whose table takes it, but my guess is that RHD scores the win. He was one of theirs."

"But for right now you've got an in?" Gibbs continued.

"Yeah, but Jordan is in there right now ripping into my dad, so I'm not sure how long I can keep guys talking to me. I'm fairly sure the crime tech will let me know, even if he's told we're off. He's a good friend of mine."

"Find out all you can. What'd you hear from Devin?" Gibbs replied.

"She and Eddie are on their way back. After a layover in Phoenix. She said the old man talked to her, but didn't elaborate. Said she only wanted to discuss it once and would debrief once they got back here."

Gibbs went to ask another question but didn't get the chance. Captain Watson's office door burst open and Deputy Chief Alex Jordan stormed into the squad room. Gibbs' eyes casually found the other man's and he could see the outrage and anger in them. He was headed straight for Gibbs.

Standing from Rayford's desk, Gibbs positioned himself between Jordan and Kate, squaring his shoulders and meeting the man with his best 'Gibbs' Glare'. He saw uncertainty flash in the other man's eyes briefly before the rage over took again.

"You!" The other man bellowed at Gibbs. "I'm holding you responsible for the death of this fine officer! You put him up on this and now he's dead!"

Gibbs held his temper in check, showing only the cool calm exterior his agents are used to seeing. "It just shows I'm on to something, Jordan."

Gibbs could see the anger in the other man's eyes double. He spun around coming to a hard stop in front of Captain Watson. Gibbs hated that Watson was going to take a brutal onslaught and possible career damage, but he was grateful for the other man's help in all this.

"I told you specifically NOT to help this man. We cooperated to the extent of the deal I made with his director, and instructed my force not to help on the investigation any longer. You went against my orders and assisted this man and in doing so got another officer killed."

"Back off, A. J., Wex wasn't under my orders. He did whatever he did on his own," Watson growled, the stress and sorrow of the situation making him bold.

"I'm suspending you, Captain Watson, and your son over there too. Until IAD can make a full inquiry into your actions on this case."

"I'll fight you, Jordan. You'll be sorry you interfered with this. Or do you have something to hide?" Watson bellowed back. Jordan flinched slightly before leaning in and putting a finger into Watson's chest.

"Don't threaten me, Ro. I got a lot more weight behind me than you do," Jordan snarled at the Captain. Gibbs felt himself ready to pounce and used all his strength to keep from dropping Jordan on the spot. "You and your son can go home. You'll be contacted by an IAD officer sometime tomorrow."

"You chicken shit," Rayford said as he rose from his chair pissed and ready to defend his father.

"Enough, Rafe!" Roland shouted stilling his son instantly. Jordan roared around coming face to face with Gibbs.

"And you may pack your bags and go home. There is nothing more to investigate on the Drogan matter or the Riley family murder. Case closed."

"I'll decide on those matters," Gibbs replied harshly.

"You will be receiving a call from your director shortly saying otherwise," Jordan replied with a grin before wheeling to the side and briskly exiting the room. Gibbs was angry; angry over Wexler's death, angry at Jordan for obstructing his investigation, angry for being blamed for Wexler's death.

The four of them stood around Rayford's desk silent. Each lost in their own thoughts. Gibbs was trying to figure out what to do, and wondering if Jordan was serious about a call from Vance. As he was thinking of what to do next, his cell phone chirped on his belt. Gibbs frowned and pulled it free, checking the ID screen.

"What do you need, DiNozzo, this isn't the best of times," Gibbs growled.

"Ah, I…uh…you wanted me to check up on Deputy Chief Jordan, Boss," Tony stammered confused.

Gibbs closed his eyes and calmed himself. He had forgotten about his orders to Tony after all that had happened since then. "Yeah, wha'dya got?"

"Born December 7th 1950 in Oakland California. Drafted to the army in 1969, ended up in the 1st Infantry. Did one tour and ended up coming back to California. Bounced around a year, moved multiple times, and then applied to the LAPD academy. Walked a beat in Foothill Division for five years before being promoted to Detective status. Worked multiple tables including juvenile, autos, burglary, and finally landed a spot on homicide after five years as a detective.

"Started in Topanga Division at juvenile, before getting an assignment to autos. Was transferred back to Foothill Division after a beef with a Captain Larry Poole in Topanga. Looks like a higher up stepped in and smoothed ruffled feathers for Jordan."

"How so?" Gibbs asked as he absorbed the new information.

"Well I checked into the file and couldn't get the complaint right off, it was in records, not on the computer…anyway, once I got the information it seemed like Captain Poole had a legitimate beef with Jordan on his complaint."

"Which was?" Gibbs prompted his patience running thin. DiNozzo seemed to sense the picture and continued quickly.

"Seems that Jordan got into an altercation with another officer, and it resulted in a pretty bad fist fight. Happened at the station house, but it was after shift and most of the other detectives had gone home. Poole came in to find Jordan pummeling another detective named Robert Greer. Aside from Poole another Detective that was working the Topanga Homicide table named Oliver walked in as well. Oliver yanked Jordan off Greer.

Gibbs cocked his head to the side; the name Oliver grabbed his attention. "Detective Benjamin Oliver?"

"Yeah…uh," Tony stammered slightly knocked off course by Gibbs knowledge. "Seems that Oliver worked Jordan over pretty good, so then Jordan had a beef with the unit. Another Captain swooped in because Poole was going for the throat with Jordan. Apparently there was a lot of bad blood in the bureau surrounding Jordan."

"Why?"

"The files, they didn't really say. I'm just going off what I read. But this new Captain, uh, his name was Andrews…he stepped in and quieted the whole situation right down, the complaints on both sides where swept under the rug and Jordan was transferred back to Foothill department on the burglary squad. Did a few months there before a spot opened and Andrews moved him to homicide. Stayed in Foothill for two years before Andrews was promoted.

"Seems Jordan transferred shortly after to Hollywood division for another three years on the homicide table before getting the job of Captain to over see the detective bureau at Hollywood. He was there for eight years, running that department before moving up the ladder once again, taking over the RHD division, and then moving into the Deputy Chief spot he holds now.

"Something of interest though, he was invovlved in a couple high power cases while he was head of the detective bureau at Hollywood Division. Lots of media coverage, made a name for himself when his squad closed a big case invovlving a serial killer and ten bodies. Brutal stuff from what I looked up. But he lost a man in the process as did the FBI."

"Yeah," Gibbs said tiredly. He was trying to find the hole in Jordan. "Anything else?"

"Just seems that every time Jordan was in trouble that Andrews popped up on the radar and made it better. Each promotion was backed with a recommendation from him as well. Never looked at by Internal Affairs, even the beef with the beating only had a precursory case file, the two complaints that's it. No interviews no investigation. Just kind of shut down before it started."

"No record of what started the fight between Jordan and Greer?" Gibbs asked. He suddenly wanted to call Devin and have her reinterview Oliver.

"No, which is strange. The complaint simply stated that Jordan assaulted Greer, but Greer didn't put a reason down. But something had to have happened to brush it under the rug. Greer spent a night in the hospital after the onslaught. I guess Jordan ended up in the ER after Oliver was done with him. Was pretty serious."

"Ok, thanks. Anything else?"

"No. Uh, Boss, can I ask what this is about?" DiNozzo asked hesitantly. Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment before he answered.

"It's about finding the truth and settling an old score. I got to go, DiNozzo," he replied then hung up and immediately dialed Devin's cell, ignoring Kate's questioning looks. He waited for just a beat before Devin picked up.

"Yeah, what's up?" She asked and Gibbs could hear the fatigue in her voice. He also noted sorrow.

"Have you left Flagstaff yet?" Gibbs asked hurriedly.

"We're about to board our plane to Phoenix in a minute. Why?"

"I need you to talk to Oliver again."

"Why?"

"I had Jordan checked out. Did Oliver tell you anything about his history with Jordan?"

"No, just that he thought the man was an asshole."

"He's got reasons behind that, I want to know what. He and Jordan got into a fight when they both worked as detectives in Topanga before Oliver moved to RHD and Jordan went on to Foothill and Hollywood bureaus."

"A fight?"

"It involved another detective named Robert Greer," Gibbs began. He filled her in on what Tony had described and asked her to get back with Oliver and find out what she could on the incident. He could hear her resigned tone when she answered.

"You think it's worth it?"

"Whatever we can find right now is worth it. It needs to be checked out and you're closest. Jordan is a key player in all this, whether it's a cover up or something deeper. We need to understand that man," Gibbs replied patiently.

"We'll check it out," Devin replied with exhaustion. "Any thing new on Wexler?"

"No. Reports are still sketchy," Gibbs replied purposely not telling her about his encounter with Deputy Chief Jordan. He'd deal with that when it came. "Talk to Oliver again. Ask about Topanga and why the complaints were dropped."

"Gibbs, Oliver did say something that had some heavy consequence."

"What?"

"He was shot in three places after he continued to work on my dad's case, after he'd been warned off. He said he could never prove who did it, but it was enough for him to pull his ticket and move to Arizona. Someone is willing to kill to protect, and Oliver wouldn't or couldn't say who."

"Watch your back then," Gibbs said with sincere concern in his voice. He began to worry about Devin being so far from them hip deep in finding out the truth that had gotten numerous people killed or hurt. They ended the conversation and Gibbs turned back to those in the squad room around Rayford's desk.

He filled them in on what he had learned from DiNozzo, and the task he had sent Devin on. After he was done a silence fell over the group as they all thought about the next move. Things were getting dangerous and the sour mood had enveloped them all after word of Wexler's fate. Their silence was broken by the chirping of Gibbs' phone and when he pulled it from his belt he took a deep breath. It was the director.

"Yeah Gibbs," he said trying to keep his voice steady.

"Agent Gibbs, why did I receive an irate phone call from a Deputy Chief in the Los Angeles Police Department about how my agents are making wild accusations?" Director Vance said in a measured tone. Gibbs felt his annoyance rise.

"Because we are investigating said Deputy Chief and he's trying to derail that investigation to save his own ass."

"Talk to me, Gibbs," Vance said his voice taking on a more strained tone. Gibbs could tell he had made the man nervous. He launched into what his investigation had yielded so far and brought the director up to speed, including the death of Wexler and the history of Deputy Chief Jordan. When he was finished he was met with silence on the other end of the line.

"That's where we're at," Gibbs replied tiredly. He waited Vance out, as the director thought about his next move.

"I was supposed to call you and tell you to come home, investigation over. LAPD has formally logged a complaint against you, but it comes from Deputy Chief Jordan. I'll make some phone calls and see what I can do about it, maybe circumvent around him. You still have cooperation of the detectives there?"

"The two that are helping us, yes. The Watsons' won't give up on Devin," Gibbs replied.

"I'm going to allow you to continue. Just be careful, and stop stepping so hard on toes," Vance replied before hanging up. Gibbs held the phone a second and smiled before snapping it back into place on his belt. With everything moving in high gear, he needed to get coffee so they could continue to grind away.


	27. Chapter 27

After filling Eddie in on her conversation with Gibbs, the two left the airport, rented another car and retraced their route to Oliver's front door. This time they managed to find the place on the first try. Devin sat a moment in the car, thinking about what to say to the retired detective, unsure of how to bring up the subject. She finally decided it wouldn't matter much, going on his earlier reaction to Jordan.

She noted the look of surprise on Oliver's face after she knocked on his door. She countered with a shrug of her shoulders and asked if they could come in again. He allowed it, showing them to the living room once again. They sat in silence a moment before Oliver's curiosity got the better of him.

"Thought the two of you were on your way back to LA by now," he said casually looking from Devin to Eddie.

"We were, but were rerouted back here when something new came up in the investigation," Devin replied. Eddie remained quiet, watching the old man intently. Devin could see Oliver was slightly set off by the response and seemed to become more reserved.

"How can I help?" He asked slowly.

"As we were about to board the airplane we were informed by a fellow investigator that you were involved in an altercation with Deputy Chief Alex Jordan while you were both assigned to Topanga Division," Devin laid out. She watched Oliver's mind drift back and a small knowing smile came over his features.

"His fight with Beegee," he said softly, his smile expanding. "Gave me an excuse to pound that rat's ass into the ground."

"He spent the night in the ER," Eddie stated flatly. Oliver looked up with a smirk and nodded.

"Little asshole deserved it, put Beegee in the bed for two days. Concussion was nasty, was on desk duty for two months after. And Jordan skated."

"So did you," Devin replied.

"Only way the boss man would go for the deal. I got free and clear like Jordan the little fucker. All they had on me was excessive force; I would have been busted down a rank and given a spot at the autos table. Small price to pay for that."

"What started the fight?" Eddie asked. Devin watched a flicker of hate flash across Oliver's weathered eyes before he focused on a memory.

"Look, we were watching Jordan around there. He got a cushion seat from a big top, riding coattails up the latter. He was a slack as a detective, horrible partner. He bounced from complaint to complaint we logged with the Mad Hatter," Oliver continued.

"Mad Hatter?" Devin interrupted him. He smiled.

"Captain Lawrence Poole. We called him the Mad Hatter. Anyway, we complained. Everyone from Juvee to Autos. Even some of the guys on the homicide squad logged complaints, and he wasn't even on the table. Every time something would go down, Captain Andrews, the lackey for Assistant Chief Edward Andrews, ran interference for him."

"Relation?" Devin asked.

"Captain was AC's son," Oliver continued.

"And how did Jordan fit into it?" Eddie countered.

"He was AC's Andrews' nephew," Oliver replied and Devin felt her guts start to turn. Jordan had protection all the way from the top. "Anyway. We started to curb the complaints when certain things went down."

"Like?"

"Topanga wasn't a high crime area, nothing as dangerous as Hollywood, and we all felt Jordan was camping out holding on until he could trade up for a cushy desk job in administration. He was a second rate detective for sure. Also we were a close knit group, except Jordan. He was the outcast in that station house. Even the uniforms didn't care much for him. But one too many complaints from the same guy, that guy ended up in Newton, where the violence never stopped.

"One guy got busted down back to the beat, shut up a lot of guys in the department. Jordan had a lot of pull and we knew it so we resented the man. Especially those partnered with him, doing twice the work for half the credit, because Jordan was always there to get his name in the paper and take credit for what everyone else did."

"Pissed a lot of guys off," Devin commented. Oliver nodded before continuing.

"Yeah. The thing with Beegee went down after shift. I was still there because of an interview of a witness to a murder. I was on homicide then. Coming back into the squad room I ran into Cap and we were discussing what to do next in the case when we here the ruckus in the back of the room. I saw red when I seen Jordan on top of Beegee. You've seen Jordan, he's not a small fry…well Beegee was five-five and about one twenty. He was scrappy but no match for Jordan's bigger frame."

"Wha'dya do?" Eddie asked to keep the story moving.

"Like I said I saw red. Charged across towards them while Cap called a couple uniforms up from the front that were just coming on shift. I grabbed Jordan and spun him around, cracked his head off the desk next to us and then gave him a couple shots in the kidney to knock the fight out of him," Oliver explained with a hint of pride in his eyes. Even after all those years that one shot at Jordan still held power over the man.

"Must have worked him over a bit more, he went to the ER," Devin countered.

"You bet I did. He bloodied Beegee up bad and it angered me. The little connected prick picking on the littler man like that, and still going after he was down. I put Jordan down and made sure he wasn't coming back up. Cap got paramedics and that was that."

"Any ideas what started the fight in the first place? My guy said nothing in the complaint about why," Devin continued.

"Wouldn't be. Andrews and Andrews swept it all under the rug hush hush. But Beegee told me later that he was working a case and Jordan's name came up suspect from an informant. He went to Jordan on it first to let the rat clear his name, you know. Lot of times street creeps will drop a name of another officer as dirty to try to get a better deal out of something. So Beegee gets a drop and goes to Jordan with it, expecting him to deny and blow it off. Only he doesn't, he blows up."

"So was he ever investigated?" Eddie asked.

"Beegee never put the drop in formal writing so no he wasn't. He dropped it so he could keep his shield. Andrews was running rough shot at the moment. Jordan took his lashing behind closed doors, moved him to Foothill out of our hair and life continued."

"But you all suspected him of being dirty?" Devin inquired.

"Of course. It wasn't the first snitch or street thug to drop his name, but we never had proof. Just the word of criminals against a detective, captain, and assistant chief. Big power there. But Jordan never forgot the beating I gave him and we clashed till I retired."

"Did you ever hear complaints from Foothill?" Eddie asked suddenly. Oliver looked the younger man over and frowned.

"Nothing could get out about Jordan there, that's why he was put there. Andrews was top dog there, Junior Andrews anyway. And now he's Assistant Chief, so watch yourselves."

"You don't think they were involved with the murder of my family do you?" Devin asked in a whisper the thought hitting her hard. She knew it wasn't Jordan's voice, but what if it was one of his relatives that he was covering for.

"I can't say, Devin, I really can't. Jordan and both Andrews were pushing for this case to be in the hands of the FBI and I can only surmise that either they were under terrible pressure because of Jefferson disappearing, or someone in LAPD was involved."

"Do you think Jordan was a dirty cop?" Devin asked bringing her eyes up to study Oliver's reaction. She wanted an honest answer.

"I…he was into something. I just never found out what."

"Do you think it was murder?" Eddie asked.

"It's a hard thing to accuse a man of with no proof. No I don't think Jordan was into murder, but he was a scammer and a hustler and he was working something on the side. Our guess in Topanga was drugs. The narc table had snippets but nothing concrete that could survive any kind of scrutiny. They never caught him in the act."

"And now he's a Deputy Chief," Devin said with a sigh.

"He had protection," Oliver said with a shrug.

They continued to discuss Jordan and his adventures while at Topanga Division and Devin was getting the picture of a man none of his colleagues liked, in fact most of them despised him according to Oliver. But nothing of hard proof was ever turned up and the man was able to slide up to his current position. Devin eventually thanked him for his time and she and Eddie headed back to the airport.

It was getting late and Devin was starting to dose off in the car. She wanted to sleep but the case was still spinning around in mind keeping her teetering on the edge of it. Eddie parked the rental car and checked the clock. It was late at night and Devin felt him staring at her. She turned slightly to face him, her eyes half slits.

"It's late. Head back tonight or find a hotel and head back in the morning?"

Devin thought a moment and decided sleeping in a bed was better than hard chairs in airports and on the actual airplane. She sighed in defeat and told Eddie to find them a hotel for the night. When Eddie was at the front desk checking them in she called Gibbs for an update.

He didn't have much yet as they were still fighting to stay in the investigation but was hoping Director Vance would grease some wheels and circumvent Jordan for them. Devin filled him in on what she had learned on Jordan, and let him know they were staying in Arizona over night. Gibbs told her he would call if anything developed and she told him they'd be back in the late morning sometime.

When she hung up Eddie was standing by her door side. She opened it up and swung half way out. He leaned on the door and dropped down slightly. She could see the concern on his face and she knew she must look like death warmed over.

"Got us a room, only one left," Eddie said. Devin thought she sensed caution in him as if she would object to his booking only one room. She didn't care at the moment, just wanted to get in and fall asleep. She simply nodded and pulled herself from the car.

He led her to the room and opened the door. Devin went into the bathroom and shut the door, immediately stripping down and getting in the shower. Once she felt clean again she toweled off and grudgingly put her clothes back on. It would be nice tomorrow to be able to change.

She left the bathroom feeling better and found Eddie propped on the pillows watching television. He looked up at her when she came out and simply smiled. It hit Devin and she felt her stomach ripple. She didn't let it stop her, making her way to the other side of the bed and flopping down on top the bedspread. Eddie disappeared into the shower and she heard the water running.

In her relaxed state of mind, it began to wonder and she found herself thinking about Eddie in the shower and the thought made her blush, and she didn't know why. She ran her relationship with him over in her mind and was amazed at how much it had changed over the last three days. He was still by her side, and she knew it was more than just being partners that kept him following her into hell.

Her mind drifted to their kiss in the car. She wanted to feel that again she thought. She wanted him now, and hadn't even realized it. It was something that had been there, buried under the rouse of untouchable until now. He was touchable now, he was getting divorced, and the papers were already signed. The shower quit and the door opened, but she was oblivious to it.

It wasn't until she felt the bed dip and she rolled slightly to the middle that she realized he was no longer in the shower. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts because he smiled up at her and brought his hand to her jaw. She closed her eyes and soaked up the warmth of his touch.

"Devin," he whispered causing her to open her eyes and look at him. He was staring at her with unbridled passion and she knew what he was asking. She nodded slowly as she bit softly at her lower lip, nervousness overtaking her for the moment. He waited a moment, before he leaned in closer and touched his lips to her. But it wasn't enough for Devin as she unleashed her feelings for the man.

No more hiding she thought, he was free, he was here, and he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She showed him that as she kissed him with all she had, her tongue slowly slipping against his. The kiss was heated and the passion continued to grow until they couldn't breathe.

Eddie pulled back slightly, grabbed her shoulders, and tugged her so she was laying flat on the bed, under him. He kissed her like she had never been kissed before and then he trailed down her neck and across her clavicle. The sensation was sending ripples through her body and pooling between her legs. Her hands roamed his back, pulling his shirt up around his shoulders before he broke his kisses and tugged the cloth off, discarding it over the side of the bed. He paused a moment, as her hands skirted up his chest, causing his muscles to twitch, stopping on his shoulders. Doubt hit her again; going through with this would change the entire dynamic of their relationship. Was she ready for that? It must have shown on her face as he stilled.

"You ok?" He whispered as his body hovered just above hers. She didn't know how to answer that question. The battle inside her was giving her conflicting views, her fear and courage striking out trying to be the one to be heard. She watched him gently lower himself beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head. "It's ok."

"I don't know anymore, Eddie," she whispered trying desperately to hold herself together. In his embrace she felt herself relaxing.

"Know what?" He asked hesitantly and she knew he must be afraid of what she was going to say. He had laid his heart on the line this week and it was up to her if it got broken or not

"What to do."

"How do you mean?"

But she didn't know if she could answer his question. Again her mind jumbled with everything flying around at once. He seemed to sense she was conflicted and he put his mouth by her ear lowering his voice. .

"I'm sorry. I'm pushing," Eddie said soothingly. Devin closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. "We can talk after this is all over, after this case is finished."

Devin could only nod. Part of her wanted him just as badly as she could tell he wanted her, but part of her was conflicted. Not to mention the distraction of finding the killer of her family. Emotionally, mentally, and physically she was exhausted, and wasn't even sure which way might be up.

She settled into his embrace, turning slightly so she was on her side, head cuddled into his bare chest, arms curled up between them. His arms remained locked around her as his chin rested on the top of her head. As sleep finally overtook her, her mind was running a marathon of thoughts and feelings.


	28. Chapter 28

**AN: Hey guys if I ever get you confused with my "cop speak" holler. I like to keep it real in my stories but then i think sometimes I don't explain enough in laymans terms afterwards. So! If anyone ever has questions about anything in there just ask. I can explain it all away. Thanks for reading! dark rolling sea.**

* * *

Gibbs was frustrated sitting around the desks pushed together to form the table at Hollywood station. After his final conversation with Devin, they had had very little to do. Jordan had successfully shut them out of the Wexler investigation for the time being, but Rayford Watson still had a couple ins. Most of those guys wouldn't talk while on duty though. Kate was dosing in a chair in the corner while he stewed about what to do next.

He had hoped Vance would cut through the red tape and get them all back on the case, even possibly lifting the suspension Jordan had given the Watsons, but so far it hadn't come. They were still affectively shut off. Captain Watson had retreated to his office, making phone calls trying to get his authority back, but Gibbs figured he wasn't having much luck since they were still in the dark.

Rayford had called everyone he knew who was involved in the investigation. The original two detectives picked from Hollywood Division had been sent home hours ago as RHD dismissed all non essential personnel from the field. It was getting very late at night in California and his body clock was screaming that it was time for sleeping. He pushed himself from the chair he was in, and roamed over to the coffee machine, pouring himself another cup of coffee. He had lost track of the number of cups of the sludge he had downed, but it was keeping him going.

They had very little to go on, since nothing was filtering their way. They knew Wexler had been tortured before killed, and it had been extensive. They knew Wexler had a piece of paper with him that looked like he had taken notes for something, but they didn't know what was on it. They also knew the killer had wanted to prolong identification, not deny it, since he had left the head behind.

Gibbs wished he knew what was on that note. He felt in his gut that it was the key to all this and that Wexler had been tortured for something he had learned. But what had the detective learned? No one seemed to have an answer to that. Gibbs sighed and rubbed his neck while slugging back another shot of the nasty coffee. Something had to give soon or he was going to hit the streets.

His phone rang on his belt a second before the phone in Captain Watson's office rang. Gibbs glanced through the doorway as he pulled his phone from the clip. His eyes drifted to the ID screen and he frowned. It was awful late for Director Vance to be calling him.

"Yeah Gibbs," he gruffed out, his annoyance full force.

"I think I can help with that," Vance replied carefully. Gibbs checked himself before answering.

"What can I do for you, Leon?"

"No, it's what I can do for you. Captain Watson should be receiving a call soon."

"His phone rang when mine did," Gibbs replied cautiously, his interest definitely peaked.

"That would be Assistant Chief Conrad Danforth. Not a very happy man to be aroused at such a late hour in his home, but after a careful explanation of the situation…"

"Get on with it, Leon?" Gibbs cut the other man short.

"Right. Danforth is reinstating both Captain and Detective Watson; the suspension is nullified as Deputy Chief Jordan is put on administrative leave pending investigation by IAD into matters of abuse of power."

"We're back in?" Gibbs asked keeping his voice neutral.

"You should start receiving cooperation immediately from LAPD. Just do me a favor and keep me informed. I don't like irate phone calls in the middle of the night."

"Yeah," Gibbs said emotionlessly. He sensed Vance hanging up. "Hey, Vance."

"Yeah," the director's voice came back to his ear.

"Thank you," Gibbs uttered before snapping his phone shut and turning to face Rayford who was studying his father's office door. Rayford seemed to notice Gibbs' stare and dropped his eyes to the special agent.

"What's up?" The young detective asked tiredly.

"We're back in. My guess is that your dad is talking to an Assistant Chief Danforth on the phone in there."

"AC Danforth? Shit, that man does not like to be bothered when at home. I'm not sure if that is good or…"

"According to my director it's good," Gibbs said cutting the younger man off. He then shared his conversation with Rayford. The smile on the other man's face when he finished was enormous.

"Jordan may have finally been clipped," he responded cheerily. Gibbs glanced over at Kate and sighed. She was still asleep in the chair by the wall. When he looked up again Captain Watson was coming out towards them. He had a tired smile on his face.

"Rayford, you're on the task force investigating Wexler's death. You're to report to Parker Center immediately to join the investigation, all hands on deck," Watson said to his son with a hint of pride in his voice. Rayford's grin expanded and he grabbed what he needed from his desk. "Expect regular updates, young man."

"You bet, dad. Soon as I'm up to speed I'm calling you," he replied as he slung a bag over his shoulder.

"Chief Danforth said NCIS was also allowed to tag along," Watson continued. Rayford paused and looked at Gibbs.

"In the investigation?" Gibbs asked.

"Seems that your Director Vance made a convincing argument into the case and Chief Danforth agreed to let you help," Watson answered stifling a yawn.

Gibbs nodded before walking over to Kate and nudging her awake slowly. She blinked at him several times a look of confusion coming over her face. She scanned around and he saw the sudden dawning enter her hazy expression.

"What?" She asked with a yawn.

"We're in with the investigation, moving to Parker Center. Come on," Gibbs said softly as he ran his fingers gently down her cheek. She smiled before the confusion came over her again.

"What?"

"Come on, we need to go now. I'll explain on the way," Gibbs replied standing up and extending his hand. She took it, letting him help her to her feet. Gibbs didn't drop her hand after she was standing, simply turned and tugged her along after him.

During the short ride to Parker Center, Gibbs filled Kate in on his conversation with Vance, and why they were headed to Police Headquarters. After parking the car in the lot, Rayford got them all into the building by flashing his badge at the front desk then preceded up the elevators to the fifth floor.

Once in the room, the three were brought up to speed on what had been obtained in the hours since Brian Wexler had been identified. The autopsy had found a multitude of torture happening in the last few hours before his death, including the removal of some of his body parts before he was killed. They said that the sheet of paper in his pocket had been sent to the lab and they were still waiting to hear the results from the lab tech.

They were still canvassing the area looking for potential witnesses to the dumping of the body in various areas, coming up with very little. The owner of the shop the majority of Wexler had been found in was interviewed extensively but released as a suspect when he provided an iron clad alibi.

During the briefing Gibbs listened while studying the two men that were bringing them up to speed. The first one, who introduced himself as Detective III Jackson Edwards, and was referred to by his partner as Jed, was a tall man with a football build, his hair was kept close to the scalp and he sported a goatee on his chin. The man was animated and a little jerky suggesting to Gibbs that he was hyped up on a lot of caffeine. The other man, who introduced himself as Detective Terence Conners, was built low to the ground and soft in the middle. He was slightly older than his partner and had a thick head of hair that had once been a dark brown, but was now spotted with gray. He had the standard mustache that hung limply over his upper lip. When they were finished with their presentation they asked for questions.

"Any ideas on why?" Gibbs asked just to see if they had all the information.

"Ah…well," Jed started and glanced at Conners who shrugged. Gibbs wondered if they had been briefed on him and Kate and why they were there.

"I probably know more than you do," Gibbs replied shortly with an emotionless stare. Jed studying him a moment trying to decipher the meaning behind his words before he slowly continued.

"Uh, yeah, well, you know we've got some…ideas, but yeah, nothing stands out, uh, aside from his notes in his pocket."

"It's ok, guys," Rayford replied with a sigh. He looked both RHD detectives in the eye before he continued. "Look, Special Agents Gibbs and Todd have been working with us on an open unsolved in Hollywood Division. Anyway, we talked to Wex yesterday and he was running something down for us, so that cuts them in."

"You're the guy Jordan was huffing about earlier. Danforth said to ignore all that," Conners said with a curious glance.

"Yeah, well Jordan's out of it, and I'm part of it now," Gibbs continued as he felt he was being sized up by the locals. He didn't like it. He didn't care who did what or what credit was given; he just wanted to find the killer who most likely either knew or was the same that had killed Duncan Riley and his family.

"Yeah, heard that too," Jed retorted smartly. "Must got some pull somewhere."

"Want to see some pull?" Gibbs asked coldly. He felt Kate's hand clamp on at his elbow and a small smirk crossed his lips. He watched the other two men shirk back a little bit.

"What can we do to help," Rayford replied cutting in trying to tamp out the fire. Jed had his eyes locked on Gibbs for a good twenty seconds before he looked over at Rayford.

"Cap says you're in. You know what we do so go see Cap for your assignments," Jed replied waving his hand dismissing them. Gibbs could tell both RHD men felt threatened by him. He couldn't help a little pride surge through, but he kept his face unreadable. Rayford led the way to an office.

Two hours later there had been no breaks in the case and Gibbs had Rayford drive Kate back to the hotel to get some sleep. She had lightly protested that she was fine, but he had woken her up at least twice since getting to Parker Center and he knew she needed her rest. Reluctantly she gave in to him.

He grabbed a fresh cup of coffee, and caught a ride with a detective Aaron Keller to the lab after they received a call from a tech saying he had deciphered the note Wexler had in his pocket. Keller had found Gibbs because the lab rat had mentioned Gibbs' name was on the sheet.

"We got some notes, looks like case work. Has a couple names on it, but, Special Agent Gibbs, your name is here at the top, and underlined," the tall and very skinny young man said as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Now the rest looks like interview notes, but the page was torn so we lost some of it. Maybe torn from the notebook in a hurry in an effort to conceal it. I don't really know just speculating."

Gibbs tuned him out and started to read the notes. They were indeed interview notes, giving locations and names. Looked like some were retired police and maybe some federals. Gibbs instantly grew curious. Jordan's name appeared once and there was a name that was underlined several times.

"What's this?" Gibbs asked pointing to the underlined name. It was on the edge that had torn. He couldn't tell if any of it had been torn off.

"It's something of great importance. We got some of Detective Wexler's interview reports and notes and such, to check the handwriting. Well we confirmed it with the style, and we noticed a pattern. When he underlined stuff it was a degree of importance," the lab rat rattle off. Gibbs grew impatient as he often did with his own people.

"Point?" He bellowed softly. The tech jumped slightly, pushed his glasses up his nose and then continued.

"Right, yes. Um, anyway it's underlined four times, signals major importance. It's the word White, and its capitalized so might signify a name. We're not sure yet," he stammered through trying to keep on task.

"Was any of the word torn off?" Gibbs continued. Detective Keller was eyeing him and he wondered how many of them knew why NCIS was involved.

"That's hard to determine with any certainty but we're fairly sure it was not. That the entire word was White. We checked the marks on the side of the page and even though they come very close to the edge, it appears that they stop right there on the edge," he replied using his gloved pinky finger to point to the spot at the edge. Gibbs nodded.

"Anything else stick out?" Keller finally broke into the conversation. Gibbs was still studying the rest of the notes.

"Just lots of names of older cops and maybe some feds. Not sure. What was he working on, that might help us narrow it down," the tech asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"A twenty year old case," Gibbs replied absently.

"Twenty year old cold case? Twenty years and still open would only mean one thing," Keller said looking at Gibbs. Gibbs knew then that not everyone had been brought up to speed. He was some what angry, as it would slow down the investigation.

"Yeah, it's an unsolved murder case," Gibbs replied with a sigh. He looked at Keller. "You know any of these names here?"

Keller looked at him for a long moment. Gibbs could see he was working something out in his mind and he sighed as he looked at the floor. Gibbs knew he owned the man an explanation, Wexler was probably a friend of his.

"Wexler wasn't working an active case. In fact after he went to do an interview at Hollywood yesterday he came back to the Cap and asked for a week off the active roster, no new cases. You know what's going on, Special Agent Gibbs? You know why my friend was killed?"

"He was digging around on cold case for a friend," Gibbs said watching the other man, gauging his reactions. He saw the genuine sorrow and curiosity in the other man's eyes and knew he would tell him the full story. This man deserved to know; he had been friends with Brian Wexler.

"You the friend?" Keller asked with a hint of anger in his voice. Gibbs shook his head slowly with a frown.

"No. Devin Riley," Gibbs replied testing the waters with Devin's name. He watched Keller search his mind for the name and then slowly the thought occurred to him. Keller's eyebrows came together slowly.

"You mean," Keller started but then didn't finish. Gibbs nodded slowly as he replied.

"Yeah, daughter of Duncan Riley, open unsolved case from twenty years ago."

"This might be the same guy?"

"Yes," Gibbs replied.

"What are we talking here?" The lab rat asked confused. "I was only about seven years old twenty years ago.

"Never mind," Keller mumbled his eyes still on Gibbs. The man waited a beat then, watching Gibbs closely to see if it was all a joke, before he nodded slowly and turned to the lab rat. "I want a copy of that to go. Now."


	29. Chapter 29

Gibbs sat at the table back at Parker Center in the crowded room that was being used as the base of operations for the investigation into Detective Wexler's death. Across from him was Keller. The detective was about the same age as Gibbs and just about as seasoned. He was built like pit bull, and carried a swagger with him that told Gibbs he was top dog in the division. To his right there was a younger detective that Gibbs figured had just made it to the elite RHD Homicide Special table.

The younger detective, whose name was Kelvin Velleccio –but was called The Kid by the rest of the squad, was tall and lanky. He looked like a guy who spent a lot of his off time at the gym trying to bulk up his streamlined muscles, but didn't have the time or the know how to make himself look tougher. His hair was blonde and wispy, almost unruly atop his head.

Keller had drilled Gibbs in the car about everything he knew, and Gibbs had happily filled the other man in. Keller was furious that they hadn't heard about this earlier and Gibbs told him that it was most likely Jordan running interference that slowed word down. Once they had made it back to the room, Keller had grabbed Velleccio and the three had sat down.

Now they were studying the note trying to make heads or tails of the names on there. Velleccio wasn't much help Gibbs realized, but it wasn't for lack of trying, Keller just had more time in. The names were from way back, twenty years ago, when Velleccio would have still been in grammar school. But Gibbs was impressed with Keller's abilities and started to admire the man.

"In the morning I want you to contact a list of people I draw up for you, Kelvin," Keller was saying.

"Yeah," Kelvin replied stifling a yawn. Gibbs could see the fatigue pulling on the men and wondered if sleep might be a better route to go right now and start fresh. Mistakes could be made simply because the force was tired. But he didn't bring it up, he knew these men wouldn't sleep; they were avenging one of their own.

"What do we got so far?" Gibbs asked as the long day pulled at his mind. He grabbed the cup of coffee that was next to him and winced as the liquid hitting his mouth was cold. He swallowed before getting up and dumping the rest out and getting fresh. Keller continued to talk as Gibbs moved back to the table.

"Couple names, mostly old timers that are out of the blue now. But I got some that we've cross referenced though old case files that came up showing FBI. I don't know if we can get into those names or not, but we'll try in the morning. Their FO isn't open right now," Keller replied.

"I can run down the FBI names," Gibbs replied before gulping down some hot coffee. He checked his watch frowning. He would have to wait another couple hours if he didn't want to roust Fornell from bed. He thought about it, but then decided against waking the other man; he would work better if he wasn't crabby that Gibbs had woken him up. "Give me about two hours and I'll have someone in DC run them down for us."

"Interagency cooperation?" Keller asked with a smirk.

"Friend doing a favor," Gibbs replied as his eyes went back to the note. "What do we know about White?"

"We'll have to run down some of the people Wexler talked with to figure that out unless you've got something to go on," Keller said with fatigue lacing his voice. "So far as we can tell from the note, looks like people might have been giving him names and White kept coming up. Maybe witness, maybe snitch, maybe cop, I don't know."

"Maybe FBI," Gibbs mumbled. He had a feeling White was the man in the shadows that Wexler was trying to track down. "Who are the people on this list? Can you run that down for me?"

"First name at the top here Gilbert Fornes was a member of RHD back in the late seventies early eighties before he retired. This guy under him, Fred Oliner, I think was in administration here in Parker Center around the same time. Retired before I came in here. This third name, Angus MacDevitt, was an Assistant Chief back then. Used to butt heads with an AC Andrews."

"Guy carrying Jordan?" Gibbs asked. Keller looked up slightly surprised.

"Uh, yeah he and Jordan were related, he pulled Jordan out of a lot of shit I guess. Hearsay," Keller replied. "Anyway, then the next couple guys here, I'm thinking they were FBI or snitches Wexler used. But nothing in the registered informants now, so maybe from Rampart when he worked their table."

"Anyway to confirm FBI agents?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah, these three here, uh, Gordon Lieter, Winston Godlewski, and James Cornelius, were all cross checked on case files and came back with FBI credentials that had worked cases with LAPD over the years."

"And this name right before White?" Gibbs pointed as he squinted to make out the smudged letters. "Looks like Alpert?"

"Uh, we haven't figured out who that is. Can't make out the first name and there were multiple Alpert's in the LAPD over the last twenty years, not to mention, I'm sure, in the FBI. Kinda dead end if we don't figure out the first name."

Gibbs could only nod. He downed the rest of the coffee in the cup and thought about more, but didn't get up. There was something about the list that was mesmerizing him. He was missing something but he couldn't figure out what. Things were revolving around what Wexler was doing when he was killed, and that seemed to be looking into things for Devin. Someone he spoke to raised red flags and it some how got Wexler killed.

There was very little as to what each person had told Wexler, if he had in fact spoken to all of them. Gibbs knew as soon as the sun came up that the detectives of the RHD squad were going to be pounding on the doors of as many of the people on the list as they could locate. And he knew he would be accosting Fornell for all the information he could get on the three FBI agents.

Sitting around a table discussing names was nagging at Gibbs. He had been with the task force for hours now and didn't feel they were that much closer to the killer. Then he reminded himself that it was only a couple hours and details were still filtering in. He closed his eyes to clear his head, the exhaustion wearing on him. Maybe he should grab a ride back to the hotel and take a short nap. Plus he could see Kate.

He smiled with his eyes still closed. He had missed her the last three hours, and this surprised him. When he opened his eyes Velleccio was gone from the table and Keller was starting at him. Gibbs could tell Keller was intrigued and wanted to dig deeper, but knew better. They seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

"I think we could all use a bit of rest," Keller said softly as he rubbed his neck absently. "I know I've been on shift for almost twenty four hours now."

Gibbs checked his watch and did the mental calculations in his head. They still had about four hours before the brass would start letting them knock on the doors of the retired police officers that might have had contact with Wexler last night. He looked around the room and noticed that most of the other men had disappeared at some point. He looked at Keller.

"Yeah, you seen Watson round anywhere?" Gibbs asked. He wanted a ride back to Hollywood to pick up the rental car so he could get some sleep. There was enough police work done tonight, hitting it again in a few hours after some well due rest would be better.

"He's over in the corner," Keller said standing up. "See ya in a few, Gibbs."

Gibbs watched Keller walk out after shouting at Velleccio to get some shut eye. The kid had nodded and started to put away whatever it was he was looking at. Rayford looked up and seemed to notice that most everyone else had given up for the night already. He glanced at Gibbs as he walked closer.

"Give me a ride to the car, we'll hit it hard in the morning," Gibbs said to the younger man.

"Yeah, I could use a nap," Rayford said with a yawn.

Neither spoke on the way back the Hollywood station to pick up the car. Gibbs was lost in his own mind running the case over and over in his head. He was putting everything in order so he could work it all out and find what he was missing. Something was there, they were just overlooking it. Maybe when they spoke to the names on the sheet they could start to piece together what Wexler had found. But it bothered him the note survived the torture. Not that Wexler apparently didn't give it up, but that the killer didn't search his pockets, was the note inconsequential? Or did the killer expect it to be illegible after soaking up so much blood?

He was still thinking about it when he pulled into the parking lot of their hotel. He stopped in front of Kate's door wondering if he should knock. He was dying inside to see her, but he didn't want to interrupt her sleep. He sighed and trudged to his own room, slipping the card in the slot and opening the door. He didn't flip the light on, simply started to undress in the dark as he moved towards the bed.

He was by its side when he stopped and smiled. There was a lump under his covers, and brown hair on the pillow. He stood for a long moment simply watching her sleep and was slightly confused at the feelings running around in his heart and stomach. This woman perplexed him to no end, but not in a bad way and that in itself was confusing to him.

He slipped into the bed as carefully as he could, not wanting to wake her up and covered himself up. Propped on his elbow he laid on his side and watched her some more as he felt the pull of sleep. Fighting it for another moment he watched her eyes open slightly, blink a few times, and then a smile come across her lips.

"Hey," she mumbled her voice thick with sleep.

"Hi," he whispered back to her with a grin. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep in my room so I came in here," she replied as she stretched a little before her hand came out and skirted down his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment before he regained his composure.

"How'd you get in here, I don't remember leaving you with my key," Gibbs said as he ran his hand up and down her shoulder.

"Told the night man I lost it, he gave me a new one," Kate replied, ending with a yawn. Gibbs smiled.

"Ah," Gibbs replied before he leaned down and gently kissed her on the forehead.

"How was the task force?"

Gibbs spent the next twenty minutes telling her everything they had come up with. When he was done telling her, he could barely keep his eyes open and sleep was overtaking him. He fought it, but knew it was a losing battle. He felt Kate snuggled into his chest and he opened his eyes to slits to look at her.

"Go to sleep, Gibbs," Kate said softly, her breath tickling his skin. "Talk in the morning." Gibbs smiled and nodded, before letting sleep overtake him, mentally setting an alarm in his head to be up early to call Fornell.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Hey sorry took so long to get this piece up, but I struggled on which order to put the next sequence of events in and wasn't sure to put this chapter first or the next chapter first...hope I did it right. Anyway, here is chapter 30 and I should have 31 written shortly. Hope you are all still enjoying this piece! drs.**

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Gibbs woke a few hours later and moved into the bathroom. He took a quick shower and when he emerged he saw the early tendrils of the colorful sunrise making their way into the room. He checked the clock on the bedside, before consulting his watch. His eyes then landed on Kate, who was staring up at him.

"Morning," he whispered as he sat on the side of the bed. She smiled up at him. "We should get moving. The guys'll be back at Parker Center within an hour to hit this again."

"I'll grab a quick shower," Kate replied before getting up. Gibbs watched her as his emotions tumbled around inside again. This was something he could get used to, something he had missed for too long.

Once the door was shut he pulled his cell phone from his belt. After scrolling through his recent calls he found Fornell's number and punched the send button. As he waited for him to pick up the other end, Gibbs pulled the piece of paper he had with his notes on it. Rereading the names for something to do he frowned, Fornell didn't pick up.

"Call me as soon as you get this, Tobias," he snarled into the phone before snapping it closed. He let out an angry breath and stared at the names as if he could simply conjure up the information he needed by simply staring at them.

He waited a few minutes, which seemed like hours, before his phone vibrated and rang. He glanced at the ID screen and smiled. It was Fornell. He flipped the phone open. "Yeah Gibbs," he replied with no emotion.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed did we, Jethro?" Fornell asked. Gibbs couldn't stop the smile on his face as he thought about which side of the bed he woke up on.

"I need some information," he continued, pushing his feelings and thoughts aside for the moment.

"Same case as last time?"

"Yes. I'm in Los Angeles and I got some names of FBI agents, most likely would have been local to the LA office twenty years ago. Can you come up with information on them?"

"Twenty years ago again. I can try. No promises. What do you got?" Fornell asked with a sigh. Gibbs relayed the names to him, pausing at the final two names.

"I have two more names but it's going to be stretch for you," Gibbs said.

"Always love a challenge, Jethro, and working with you usually is."

"I have two names here, but only last names. One is White the other is Alpert. I don't even know if either man was FBI but I got a hunch White worked for some sort of initials. Alpert is just a guess, not sure."

"Ok, that might be tough. I'll look through the records and see what I can come up with."

"Cross check those names with Agent Jefferson who disappeared."

"I'll get back to you when I have something," Fornell said before the line went dead. Gibbs closed his phone and looked up as Kate came from the bathroom. He rose from the side of the bed and walked towards her, transfixed.

He suddenly realized how much his mood lifted with Kate around, and wondered why he never noticed it before. She smiled at him as she paused, taking in his face. He knew she was wondering why he was looking at her the way he was, but he couldn't help it.

His mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts, some which scared him, but others that did not. The feelings he had for Kate Todd were definitely changing, and he was one hundred percent positive for the better. He stopped in front of her, and studied her face. The curiosity in her eyes made the grin on his face expand.

"What?" She finally asked.

He didn't reply with words, simply leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. He pulled back and analyzed the feelings tumbling around in his head and heart –yes definitely something he could get used to. Kate continued to look at him, a small smile playing on her lips. He could tell she was confused about his mood.

"We should get moving," she continued softly, her hands coming to rest gently against his chest. He nodded in response, his own hand coming up to cover one of hers.

"Yeah, lots to do today," Gibbs replied before taking a deep breath. The ride to Parker Center was done in relative silence, except the brief discussion after Gibbs…lost his way. He would never admit to her that they were lost; he just…missed a turn. After finding the place, Kate only smiled before exiting the car and moving inside.

Once on the fifth floor, and in the room, it was crowded with the remaining seven RHD detectives. Gibbs found Keller and Velleccio and slid into a chair across the table from them. Kate sat down next to him.

"Find anything new?" Gibbs asked the older detective. Keller looked up and frowned. Gibbs could see the heavy bags under Keller's eyes and the exhaustion in his face. Gibbs wondered if he looked the same.

"Not yet. You hear back from your FBI source?" Keller asked.

"Still waiting. What'd you find, Velleccio?" Gibbs asked turning towards the younger detective.

"FBI is checking it out. But I don't expect a call back until at least tomorrow," Velleccio said with a frown. Gibbs figured the FBI didn't feel the same push the LAPD did on local cases.

"I should hear back soon from Fornell," Gibbs countered. "Then maybe we'll have something to go on."

As Gibbs was finishing his sentence another older man walked up. He seemed to be pushing sixty, if not already over, and had the hardened face of someone who had seen and done it all. He eyed Gibbs for a moment before he slid into the chair next to Keller.

"You got anything new, Griggs?" Keller asked. Gibbs remembered the name and tilted his head to the side. He fixed the man with a stare completely void of emotion and he could see it was making the other man nervous. They sat in silence at the table for a moment, while Griggs thought about what to say.

"I know you?" He asked looking at Gibbs. "Because I'm not liking the way you're looking at me."

"He's Special Agent Gibbs, and she's Special Agent Todd, NCIS. They're here about…" Keller began.

"Yeah," Griggs said suddenly cutting off the other man. Keller looked at Griggs with confusion and Gibbs continued to stare at the man. "Drop the stare, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs didn't. Nor did he say anything to the man. He felt Kate's hand touch his elbow briefly but then it disappeared. He ignored her and the other two men sitting at the table. But he had no intention of breaking his stare, or saying anything to Griggs just yet. He wanted to make the other man sweat a little.

"Uh, you…find anything helpful on Wex, Eugene?" Keller asked trying to break the tension at the table. Gibbs could tell he had no idea what was causing it.

"Nothing yet. Still got feelers on the street. My team hasn't reported in yet from the night runs," Griggs replied slowly as he gauged Gibbs' reaction.

"You can talk in front of them, Griggs," Keller said suddenly. "They're here by request of Assistant Chief Danforth. Anything Deputy Chief Jordan told you should be ignored. Jordan's been suspended."

Gibbs gave the other detective points for that one. He had figured out what the tension was and was trying to defuse it. Gibbs still didn't want to trust Griggs though; he had already shown an allegiance to Jordan. He wanted to know how deep those ties ran before he made a decision on the man.

"What?" Griggs asked, his head snapping sideways to look at Keller. It was genuine surprise and Gibbs knew the other detective had had no idea what had happened to Jordan over night. "Why was he suspended?"

"IAD investigation into abuse of power complaints," Velleccio replied adding his first thoughts into the conversation. Griggs ignored the kid completely and continued talking to Keller as if the kid wasn't even there. Gibbs disliked him ever more after that.

"Abuse of power? Bullshit."

"Doesn't matter," Keller snapped back. "I know you're street team already reported back to you. What's the word, god damn it, this is Wex we're talking about!"

His rising voice got everyone in the room's attention. Gibbs watched Keller and Griggs stare at each other for a long minute before Griggs looked at him then Kate. He finally relented and began filling them in.

"So far no one has said anything. Wex was out yesterday during the day apparently working the streets for old timers. Nobody new. He told one guy he had talked to some old brass and was then making his way through the thugs still around. Hard to find thugs that were in the know twenty years ago," Griggs replied looking at Gibbs at the end. Gibbs could feel the contempt.

"We've got to get something solid here," Keller said slamming his fist against the table top in frustration. It was then that Gibbs' phone vibrated then rang on his belt. He unclipped it, bringing it up to eye level. It was Fornell getting back to him. It almost seemed too quick.

"Yeah Gibbs," he said as he stood and moved away from the group. He wanted some privacy for this call. He walked out into the hallway as Fornell began speaking.

"I ran the names you asked for," Fornell said in a hesitant voice.

"What is it?"

"Uh…can I ask what you're working on?"

"Why?"

"Because about five minutes after I put the names in the box I got a call. It wasn't a pleasant one."

"What's going on, Tobias?"

"Look, someone doesn't want you to know about these names. I got the information anyway, so you owe me, but I have to tell you…watch your back, Jethro."

"Ok, what did you find?" Gibbs asked feeling the adrenaline surge through his body. Hopefully this was the break they needed in both cases.

"Agent Gordon Lieter worked for the Los Angeles Field Office from 1975 until 1990. He was a liaison with local law enforcement and was a lead agent with interagency investigations. He primarily worked in Los Angeles, but also in some of the out laying counties. Agent Winston Godlewski worked for the FBI from 1953 until 1989. Godlewski worked in multiple areas, working in five different states, all in the southwest United States, before ending his career in Los Angeles. Killed in the line of duty. Agent James Cornelius was with the FBI from 1988 and only lasted seven months, also killed in the line of duty."

"Two killed in the line of duty in 1989 and one retiring in '90," Gibbs shot back at Fornell.

"No, Lieter didn't retire, he disappeared. So you got Agent Jefferson who was an FBI agent from 1980 to 1989, started in Colorado then ended in Los Angeles. He went missing in 1989, you have Lieter missing in 1990…nothing on the cases, no clues, suspects, or whereabouts ever known. You have two men killed in the line of duty in 1989 two months apart."

"And all on a list gathered by an LAPD detective who was murdered. Someone doesn't want these names known."

"Or connections made. Like I said, Jethro, watch your back."

"What else do you have?"

"Still nothing on the names White or Alpert, but without first names or anything else for identification I'm having to cross check with old case files. Going to take some more time."

"Ok, get back with me when you get something. Anything else?"

"Like I said I got a call from a very special agent right after I ran the names through the box."

"Who?"

"Thomas Reinstock. He's the head of the Behavioral Sciences Division. He over sees that whole department. And he calls me because of names I'm running for you. What did you step in?"

"I don't know yet, Tobias, but this could help. Thanks," Gibbs mumbled as he snapped the phone shut. He walked back to the table and sat down heavily. All eyes came up on him and he paused a moment before he relayed what he had learned from Fornell to the rest of the group. Everyone listened intently and they were even joined by Jed Edwards and Terence Conners. When he was finished he waited for someone to say something.

"So now we got two dead FBI guys and two that disappeared," Keller said as he looked at the names on the list. We need to know more about the details of these two being killed in the line of duty," Keller broke the silence first.

"I'm on it," Velleccio said as he scribbled the names down and moved away from the crowd to use a phone. Gibbs glanced around the group and watched the wheels turning in everyone's eyes.

"Two disappeared without a trace," Kate began. "Someone knew what they were doing to cut a trail off cold. Even if you take measures usually someone sees you along the way or something. I think these abductions were done with meticulous planning. Whoever took them probably stalked them before he did so."

"It's a possibility," Edwards added. "But whoever did it probably also knew police and FBI procedure. If he knew what they'd look for he could avoid leaving it behind."

"Someone who was very very smart," Griggs offered with a sigh.

Gibbs got up then and walked over to Velleccio. As he approached the young man, he covered the phone up and looked at Gibbs with expectancy in his eyes. Gibbs paused making sure he wasn't listening to someone on the other end.

"I'm on hold," the kid said. Gibbs nodded before leaning down.

"Ask what cases all those three were working on when they either died or disappeared let me know. And ask if they ever all worked on the same case."

Velleccio nodded and went back to his phone as Gibbs headed to the coffee machine. He poured a cup and downed half the liquid in one swallow before refilling the cup to the top. He let the coffee soak into his system before he went back to the group.

They spent another ten minutes discussing what Griggs had heard over night from his sources on the street. It hadn't netted much, and really they had nothing more to go on than when they had first arrived. Gibbs could sense the frustration brewing, knowing it was going to blow if they didn't get a solid lead soon. Velleccio came back to the table then and all eyes landed on him. He glanced at his notebook before he spoke.

"Lieter disappeared in January of 1990 while working on a case of a serial killer. Jefferson disappeared in May of 1989 while working on the murder of LAPD Detective Duncan Riley. Godlewski was killed while chasing a suspect in the murder of Riley; the suspect was never caught, nor seen again. And Cornelius was killed when he was working a botched bank robbery, but his death was under suspicious circumstances," Velleccio read from his notes. "And to answer your question, Agent Gibbs, they all worked on one of two cases, but not all worked on both."

"Which two cases?" Gibbs asked but he had a hunch he already knew and it was creating a sinking feeling in his chest.

"A serial killer named Nate Drogan and the murder of Detective Duncan Riley, but in a sense I guess you can say those two cases were one in the same," Velleccio said, adding the second half as an afterthought. Gibbs looked at Keller.

"And this was all swept under the rug twenty years ago?" Gibbs asked softly. He could see the anger rise in the other man, and when he glanced at the other old timer at the table there was anger there too. Gibbs had stuck a cord.

"Look, this was all kept away from us at the time. We had no idea," Keller spat angrily.

"Agent Gibbs, you have no idea what was going on back then. We had orders to stand down and that it was being handled. We thought it was."

Gibbs nodded at the two men and remained silent thinking. Someone in the FBI or LAPD was killing people involved in these cases, and it seemed that person was still doing it today. It also bothered him that as soon as Fornell had run the names he had gotten a call from a rather important agent, according to Fornell anyway.

He needed information on White and Alpert. His gut was telling him the answers lay in those two names and if he could just figure out who they were, he could put all this to rest. A phone rang on the other side of the table and Velleccio immediately jumped up to answer it. After listening a moment he turned toward the group.

"For you, Agent Gibbs," he said calmly. "It's Detective Watson."

Gibbs moved to the phone and picked it up, his stomach tightening. He had no idea why, other than he felt it wasn't going to be a good call. He put the phone to his ear.

"Yeah Gibbs," he said.

"Agent Gibbs, I think you should come out and see me," Rayford said his voice flush with excitement.

"Where are you? What'dya got?"

"I'm on the strip. I got a guy here that's got something to say and I think you should hear it, but he refuses to come to the station. It'll be worth your trip out here."

"Where's the strip?" Gibbs asked rubbing his neck.

"Give the phone to Keller. I'll tell him where to bring you," Rayford said quickly. Gibbs knew he was right; it would be easier for a local to find him. Gibbs turned towards the group.

"Hey, Keller, Watson needs us in the field. He wants to tell you where he is," Gibbs relayed while holding the phone out.

Once Keller had the phone, Gibbs walked back over to the table. He glanced at his watch and frowned. If they left now he probably wouldn't be able to get to Devin and Eddie at the airport when their flight landed. He glanced at Velleccio just as Keller was hanging up the phone.

"Could you do me a favor?" Gibbs asked Velleccio. The young detective looked up.

"Yeah sure, what do you need?" He answered and Gibbs knew from the tone in his voice he was the gopher around the joint.

"Could you swing by the airport and pick up two of my team, they're due in from Arizona and we got this guy to go talk to."

"Yeah sure."

Gibbs gave him the information before he and Kate headed out the door with Keller.


	31. Chapter 31

Devin woke with a start in the early morning hours. Her body jolted and she sat bolt upright as the man in her nightmare laughed at her, the remembered pain of bullets ripping through her body. She gulped air as she tried to calm her nerves, but nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt hands touch her shoulder. She let out a startled yelp and moved to get away from whatever was after her, but the voice calmed her almost instantly.

"It's ok, Kid, it's me," Eddie said softly as his hands gently caressed her shoulder. She nodded once in return as she worked to slow her racing heart, sucking in air and trying to stop her body from shaking. She felt him scoot closer as his arms came around her body, and she leaned back into his chest, taking comfort from his warmth. "Want to talk about it?"

Devin remained quiet. She wasn't sure what to talk about. The dream had been frightening to say the least, but it was fleeting in her mind. She was sure the man who shot her family had been laughing at her, and she was almost certain she felt the pain of her old wounds, but what else had happened? She did know. She slowly shook her head; instead she pushed back against him even more.

He seemed to know what she needed and his grip around her tightened, holding her tightly to his chest. His breath cascaded down her neck as he settled his head directly behind hers, and the silence in the room seemed to envelop her. She felt her body calming, nerves returning to normal, breathing slowing, her heart beat coming to rest.

She wondered if the nightmares that had plagued her for her entire life would disappear when she found her family's killer…or if they would intensify. She had no idea and hoped she was strong enough to handle it if they got worse. Her mind drifted taking in her surroundings, wondering when everything changed. Just four days ago Eddie was simply her partner and best friend, now he was in bed with her, comforting her after a horrible nightmare.

Balancing her mind, she weighed the pros and cons of their relationship before the conversation in the car back in Baltimore, and after. Before he was her best friend, confident, and partner. They had an easy relationship; she felt she could tell him anything. After he was her best friend, confident, and partner. She laughed at herself and it drew Eddie out of his own reverie to look over her shoulder at her.

"What?" He whispered softly.

"Just…thinking," she replied slowly, rolling in his embrace so she could face him. She studied his face. She knew then what she wanted, but she also knew they needed to go slow, take their time, and explore what was happening. She didn't want to rush into it and fall face first.

"About what?" He prompted.

"You, us, everything that…changed."

"Ok," Eddie replied and she could hear the nervousness in his voice. She reached out and ran her finger tips along his jaw.

"Let's move slow, ok? I don't want to…rush into something…that…"

"Move slow?" He asked a smile playing on his lips. "So you're willing to move forward?"

"Yeah, let's just…"

"Yeah, move slow," he said softly as he leaned down and kissed her gently and quickly on the lips. "I can handle that."

Hours later Devin woke again, this time without the start. The made their way to the airport and the flight back to Los Angeles seemed to pass quickly for Devin. Her mind was totally wrapped up in what they had learned from Oliver, and wondering what progress Gibbs and Kate had made while they were gone. They hadn't really updated each other over the phone, and now Devin was anxious to hear what was going on.

They were met by a young detective that told them Gibbs sent him to pick them up, and he drove them back towards downtown. Both Devin and Eddie had opted to ride in the back seat of the detective car. The ride was quiet, as the detective didn't engage them in conversation. He had told them they would be brought up to speed at Parker Center. Devin was a little deflated at that, but decided she could wait.

She turned to Eddie to ask him a question but never got the chance. A sickening crunching and screeching of metal assaulted her ears, as the car was suddenly going sideways instead of forwards. The seat belt over her shoulder locked, jarring her body hard into the seat, causing pain to cascade down her from the shoulder joint to her waist. Her head slammed into the canopy over the window, causing a million lights explode behind her eyes.

Something heavy slammed against her side and pushed her further into the door as the horn blared in her ears. She felt something snap in her arm and moaned at the increased pain. Her vision swam in front of her as she tried to figure out what had happened. Someone was speaking to her, but she couldn't tell who, or even where the voice was coming from. Suddenly her left eye was blurry and her face felt wet. Blood was dripping off her jaw and she knew her head had split open on impact.

Blinking several times she attempted to clear her vision, but she slowly realized that it wasn't just the blood making her vision swim; her head was spinning as well. Looking around, trying to gain her bearings, she assessed the situation as best as her groggy mind would allow. Car accident, she thought slowly. Panic hit her as she turned her head, the heavy object that had smashed her further into the door had been Eddie, and he looked to be unconscious. Forcing her mind to focus she looked into the front seat and saw movement, good she thought; the detective was alive and able to move. Turning her head again she felt a wave of nausea crash through her system and she battled to keep her stomach contents to herself.

She reached for the seat belt release and found she couldn't get to it with Eddie still half on top of her. She tried to assess his injuries but her mind was too disconnected to keep track. The detective's voice sounded form the front and Devin frowned thinking that it didn't sound like he was talking to her. Looking up she watched in horror as someone stood leaning into the car with a gun to the young man's head. She reached forward to try to grab the gun but it went off instead, deafening her with the sound. Blood and brain matter splattered across the front seat, showering her as well.

She could only stare as the man with the gun withdrew and came to her door next. Before she could come up with a plan to protect herself and Eddie, the door was ripped open. As she started to scream something heavy slammed against her head wound and she leaned forward, vomited, and then the lights dimmed, before going out completely.

Devin felt the pull of consciousness. She couldn't open her eyes yet but she could hear a faint sound around her. Her head pounded, her stomach was churning, her chest ached, and her arm was thrumming with pain. Breaking her eyes to slits she tried to take in her surroundings. The bright lights over head blinded her and she groaned; squeezing her lids shut tightly.

Her mind tried to pull back the memories of what had happened, how she had ended up in this mess. Why did her head hurt so badly? Or her arm ache? Why did she feel like she was going to throw up? A flash of memory assaulted her, car accident. She moved her arm and the pain exploded from her shoulder to her hand causing her to whimper. A second flash of memory ripped through her mind, Eddie. Panic gripped her then, where was he? Was he ok?

She forced her eyes open, ignoring the searing pain that sliced through her brain as the light blinded her. She turned her head to the side and immediately regretted the movement, her body was sent into vertigo and she had to clamp her eyes shut and wait for the feeling to subside. Before it was over she felt the bile rise in her stomach, and she rolled to the side just in time as she vomited.

Sucking in a deep breath, which caused pain to expand across her chest, she opened her eyes again and forced herself to focus. Only it wasn't that easy, her vision was swimming, multiple images dancing in front of her, making her dizzy. She realized in her fog that she had a very serious head injury and was in need of medical attention. There was a wet stickiness on the left side of her head, her hair felt matted to her skull, and it felt as if it were still bleeding.

Devin attempted to sit up and was hit with a wave of nausea and assaulted once again by vertigo. Collapsing back down she let out a groan as her body exploded in searing hot pain. Gasping for air as she battled another wave of vertigo and dizziness, she decided to give up on trying to assess the situation. She still couldn't see Eddie, and as far as she could tell she was alone in the room. She froze when she head a door creak. Her first urge was to turn and see who was coming in, but she knew that any kind of movement would set off the vertigo and nausea again, so she simply remained where she was on the ground.

"Welcome back," a voice said from the doorway and icicles of fear lined her spine. She felt her body became paralyzed as the voice registered even in her disconnected state of mind. He had her, the man that tried to kill her twenty years ago, had her. Her breathing came in short gasps as she tried to stamp out the panic surging through her veins.

She was trapped, unable to defend herself, and the man who killed her family was standing over her. She opened her eyes, feeling the pain wash through her system, as three images of a man danced in front of her. She squinted and fought with her brain to focus, but was unable to bring his face into a single image.

"You look awful, Devin, really awful," the man continued. "I guess I should have taken care of you twenty years ago, I shouldn't have let you walk out of that hospital alive, but they hid the fact you survived from me."

She could hear the anger in his voice. He felt betrayed by whoever had protected her. She wondered whose idea it had been, or if whoever was working for this killer simply wasn't told she was still alive. In any case, she could tell that it still made him angry that she was allowed to survive.

She worked her mouth, trying to say something, but between the head injury and her fear she couldn't make words come out. The sound came out in a strangled groan and her eyes started to roll back up into her head. Her mind was giving out on her; she was fading into the fatigue of the head wound. She felt him lean over her, close to her face, his breath hitting her cheek.

"Oh, you're going under again, pity. I guess I'll have to wait until you regain consciousness once again. Torture is much more fun when the person is alert when you perform it."

Devin wanted to lash out at him, kill him for what he had done, and what he apparently planned on doing to her now. But her strength failed her. Her good arm barely twitched when her brain told it to swing, her head swimming and foggy as the darkness was enveloping her once again. She wanted to tell him how much she hated him, how she was going to kill him, but the strength left her and she succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness once again.


	32. Chapter 32

Gibbs and Kate walked up to Rayford after the short ride with Keller. Gibbs scanned the area out of habit before his attention focused on the young detective that had called them to the spot. Rayford seemed jumpy and overly excited when Gibbs finally stopped in front of him, shifting his weight from foot to foot, and eyes shining brightly. Gibbs cocked his head to the side and waited.

"I was running down some street guys to get info on Wex and I came across a guy who was a snitch twenty years ago. But I gotta ask ya to not judge to harshly when you see him. I know it's a sore sight, but his credibility still sticks with certain guys on the force, and I trust them. I called a couple to ask around about him before I called you and they all said he's still solid on the knowledge of what's going on," Rayford explained carefully, never breaking eye contact with Gibbs. Gibbs simply nodded.

Rayford motioned for them to follow him into a darkened entrance. The building looked abandoned on the outside, but once inside, after his eyes adjusted, Gibbs could tell it was still in use by the homeless. They made their way to a back room and Rayford knocked gently before pushing the door open.

There was a man sitting in the middle of the room on a worn out couch. He was smoking a cigarette while watching a small television. He looked up when the three entered the room and Gibbs could see the shift of nervousness in his eyes. The man was old and dirty, his clothes well worn and in need of washing. His hair was a greasy silver, unkempt wildly atop his head and his eyes were a dulled out brown.

"Digger, these people are from the government. They want to ask you about White and Alpert," Rayford said. Gibbs flashed Rayford a look at the mention of the names, he hadn't elaborated on what he had found earlier. Digger looked up at Gibbs first, then Kate, and Gibbs didn't like the look the old man gave Kate. He stepped forward, blocking the sight path and put on an emotionless face.

"When was the last time you saw Detective Brian Wexler?" Gibbs asked. Digger studied his face, and Gibbs thought he saw disappointment in the old man's eyes.

"Las' night he came 'round. Wan'tid ta know 'bout some names frem tha past," Digger said with a distant look.

"What time last night did he come around?" Kate asked coming to stand next to Gibbs. Digger's eyes drifted up to her and a small smile crawled across his lips.

"I dunno. Was mebe midnight? Don' have a watch," Digger continued.

"And what did Detective Wexler want to talk about?" Gibbs prompted.

"Old days. Glory days when I was something," Digger replied with a lopsided grin. Gibbs wondered what drugs the man was on.

"What about the glory days?" Kate asked.

"He was innerested in a couple Fed-er-al guys was hangin' 'round back in the eighties. White and Alpert."

"So White and Alpert were FBI agents?" Gibbs added

"I din say FBI. I say Fed-er-al guys. You know G-men."

"If they weren't FBI, who were they?" Gibbs asked.

"Lucian Alpert was DEA, but White; now there is tha million dollar question. Who was White?"

"You don't know?" Kate countered.

"Now, didn' say that I didn' now. Most everone involved in that whole disaster was thinkin' White was in the FBI, but some, they knows better. Some cops knows tha truth on dat one, ask around. But more importantly some FBI boys knows," Digger rattled off with a smile and a nod.

"Who in the LAPD knew about White?" Gibbs asked.

"Couple guys. Assisant Chief and his lackey," Digger said thoughtfully. "Names aren' imporant," he replied with a grin. Gibbs felt the frustration brewing and pushed it back down.

"And the FBI who knew?" Kate inquired.

"All dead now," Digger replied with a wicked grin. Gibbs was certain now that the man was high.

"And you know who White is?" Gibbs tossed into the conversation.

"Mebe I do mebe I don'."

"I don't have time for games," Gibbs growled and Digger's eyes came up to meet his, the smile melting from his face.

"Ok, ok, ok," Digger stumbled and averted his eyes. "White din' work for anybody, but not many knows this. Actually asigh from me, only two otha fellas knows that are still kicking."

"You mean everyone who knew who White was is dead?" Kate continued.

"Or missin'. But yeah them missin' Feds are morin likaly dead."

"If he didn't work for anyone who was he?" Gibbs asked. Rayford shifted by the door and Gibbs glanced at him. The young detective was looking at the ground. He had already heard this answer. Gibbs focused on Digger once again as the man thought about his answer.

"White wasn' even his name. Jus' used it cuz that what was on da badge he stoled."

"What was his name?"

"Check the record for Patrick A. White, FBI. See what come up for ya," Digger replied with a sigh. "The man usin' White badge and ID in LA in the eighties wasn' the man who the FBI hired. That Po-lock FBI agent Godsomethenorother he knew da truth and it kill him."

"But you don't know White's real name?" Kate asked.

"He was the devil," Digger said suddenly with clarity and hate. Gibbs was taken a back a moment, but then Digger's eyes clouded over in a haze of some drug again and he continued with a sigh. "Man was evil in ways no one could imagine."

"He was the killer," Gibbs stated softly. Digger's eyes came up slowly, locking onto Gibbs' own eyes. They stared at one another and Gibbs saw the burdened truth in the other man's expression.

"Yes. I knows this, as did otha fellas for a long long time. But for my life, I say nothin' to the coppers. If I tol' I'd go away too. An' who'da miss little ole' me affer a day or two?"

"Thank you," Kate said as Gibbs stared thoughtfully at the floor. "For your help."

Gibbs didn't know what to do next. He now knew the killer was using the name Patrick White, and had been carrying an FBI badge twenty years ago, but it wasn't really his badge or name. How was he going to track down a ghost? Maybe Fornell would have more luck if he gave him this new information, but he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to keep Fornell on the hook. He was already taking heat from people with power in the FBI.

Gibbs looked up at Digger waiting for the man to acknowledge him. "Did the killing stop?"

Digger's eyes gave the answer before the man even spoke. "I don' knows fo' sure, but I don' tink it did."

Gibbs nodded and turned towards Rayford. He paused a moment before leaving the room, his mind spinning with questions. This was something that was probably uncovered twenty years ago but everything was covered up. But why? What did this man have on the police and FBI agents that covered it up, other than he had killed a good deal of those who could expose him? Maybe they just didn't have any evidence to prove it.

As they made their way back to the street, Gibbs pulled his phone off his belt. He thought about calling Fornell and giving him the new information but wasn't sure if that would be a good idea or not. Fornell was already under watch by the FBI. He then thought of his team. He could use them to get information if need be. He'd call DiNozzo. He pushed the speed dial and waited for Tony to pick up.

"DiNozzo," Tony's voice danced into Gibbs' ear.

"Need some help, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he followed Kate into the car with Keller and another detective from RHD named Marcus Guillermo.

"Whatdaya need, Boss?" Tony asked hesitantly.

"I need information on a man from twenty years ago. He impersonated an FBI agent named Patrick A. White in the eighties. I want that agent's personal file and anything else you can dig up on him, especially in the press. I want photos if you can get them, from his file and anything else. I want to know his personal history, where he's from, family, everything. I want bank statements if you can find them…"

"From twenty years ago? Maybe McGeek can find something. What's going on, Boss?" Tony asked cutting Gibbs off. Gibbs fought down the anger of being interrupted knowing his team was simply worried about him.

"It's a long story, Tony, just get Ziva and McGee and start working on this. See if you can track White as long as possible. I also want what you can find on an Agent Lucian Alpert of the DEA, also in the eighties. I want to know what happened to him," Gibbs continued in a softer voice. He could tell he had stunned his senior agent because nothing came in reply. "You got all that, DiNozzo?"

"Ah, yeah, Boss, on it. Agent Patrick A. White, FBI and Agent Lucian Alpert DEA," Tony replied.

Gibbs snapped his phone shut and returned it to his belt. When he looked over Kate was staring at him studying his face. Her hand found his and gripped it lightly. He found it comforting and smiled at her, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Tony helping?" Kate asked and Gibbs could tell she said it just to break the silence in the car. The two LAPD detectives had settled in for the ride, content on not speaking. Gibbs opened his eyes and looked at Kate.

"Yeah. I figured after Fornell already got called they'd be watching him. So I figured I'd use the team for this stretch," Gibbs replied softly.

"You know eventually you're going to have to fill Tony in on what's going on."

"Yeah, maybe."

Back at Parker Center Gibbs was expecting to see Devin and Eddie waiting for him at the table. When they entered the room he felt a sudden dread hit him, but he fought it down. They were not in the room, nor was Velleccio. Gibbs checked his watch and knew that they should be back from the airport by now. He turned to Keller.

"Anyone know where Velleccio is?" Gibbs asked. Keller looked around and frowned. "He was supposed to go to the airport and pick up Devin and Eddie but they should be back by now."

"Maybe the flight was delayed," Keller said pulling his cell phone out. "I'll give him a buzz, see what's up."

Gibbs watched the older man as he waited. The frown on Keller's face made Gibbs' gut clinch again. Dread engulfed him as he pulled his own cell phone from his belt. He quickly dialed the number he had for Devin, only to have it ring several times before going to voice mail. He snapped the phone shut and searched for the number Eddie had given him. After getting the same result, he tossed the phone down on the table and blew out a frustrated breath.

"Something happened," Gibbs said looking up at Kate.

"We don't know anything, Agent Gibbs," Keller said skeptically.

"I know in my gut," Gibbs replied sternly looking around. He felt helpless as he thought of what to do next. His thoughts were interrupted by the blaring of a radio on the table. It was asking for Keller.

Gibbs got a sinking feeling as he listened into the radio conversation. A cop was reporting a car accident with one dead and one other survivor in critical condition, emergency crews on scene, but asking for RHD to come investigate. Keller acknowledged the call and turned to Gibbs. Without words the two men communicated to each other. They hurried out the door with Kate on Guillermo hot on their heels.


	33. Chapter 33

Devin felt a sudden chill wrack her body as she jolted from the darkness. She coughed and choked as water seeped from her nose and down her throat. Opening her eyes caused her stomach to roll as the light assaulted her brain. The spinning of the room was making her want to die so she clamped her eyes tightly shut once again. Sucking in deep breaths she felt her body was sluggish and cold. She was having trouble focusing her mind, remembering where she was and why she felt so horrible. Nothing was coming to the surface and she felt the pangs of panic hit her.

"Wakey wakey, Devie, my dear," a familiar voice sang to her softly. She jerked in the chair she was sitting in, trying to run from the fear that hit her. But she was restrained. This realization sent another shockwave of fear through her system and made her start to shake. Her brain was still not working properly and she was beginning to wonder if she was really conscious. "Open your beautiful eyes, darling."

As if on command her eyes fluttered open and a fuzzy shape of a man was before her. She could make out the wicked grin on his face, as he leaned closer his breath assaulted her face. Devin fought the restraints with the little strength she had, but it seemed to all but drain every ounce of energy. She finally gave in and attempted to hold her head up, but felt it rolling around on her neck. What the heck was wrong with her, she wondered.

"I think that bump on the head is very very serious, Devin," the man continued in a sweet voice. Devin wanted to vomit. She wanted to run. She wanted to kill the man in front of her, but she for the life of her couldn't remember why.

"Let me go," she whispered in a hoarse and cracked voice. Her eyes were not cooperating as she tried to glare at the man.

"Do you know who I am, Devin Riley?" The man asked her as his hands came down softly on hers, his face mere inches from her own. She finally managed to focus her sight and she took in his appearance. He seemed to have aged well, maybe in his early fifties, but could have passed for younger. He had jet black hair, with streaks of white salted throughout, giving him the regale look. His eyes were a liquid blue, brightly shining with amusement. There was a small scar over his left eye, barely noticeable, and his smile was punctuated by perfectly straight and brilliantly white teeth.

"No," she struggled. She knew she should know him, his voice sounded so familiar and it gave her fear just to hear it. But her disconnected mind couldn't recall who he was.

"Pity. I think that car accident has made you loopy. You must be in shock," he continued in that sweet tone that made her sick to her stomach. Something tugged at her mind, hard…something from…and then it hit her. She knew who he was and she felt the anger wash over her in a tidal wave.

"You killed my family," she spat out. Watching him she felt another wave of anger as he smiled brilliantly like a kid on Christmas.

"You do remember me!" He said jubilee and Devin was struck with the urge to kill the man. Why was he so excited? "I thought I'd killed you so long ago. You know you look very much like your mother did, so beautiful. Only she had longer hair.

Devin jerked to the left as the man's hand came up and he ran his fingers through her hair. She didn't want him touching her but she was powerless to stop him. Aside from her weakened state, the restraints were tight enough to cut into her flesh. It was then that she noticed she was shivering, her body wracked with cold. Her vision began swimming, flashing between bright light and darkness.

"Don't leave me just yet, Devin, we're not done playing," he said his voice taking on a different tone. She knew that this was going to be bad, but was powerless to stop it. She knocked down the panic inside and steadied herself for the fight to come. He noticed the change in her and brought his hand to her cheek. "That's better."

She tugged her head to the side but the motion made her dizzy and she felt her stomach revolt. He patted her cheek once again and shook his head, that same brilliant smug smile on his face. Shaking his head side to side slowly he leaned down close to her ear. The tickle of his breath made her clamp her eyes shut and hold her breath.

"I want to play, Devin. I killed your family out of necessity. Your father knew who I was and what I had done. He was going to ruin everything. I'd gotten away with it for so long and then here comes this cop that thinks he's going to take me down."

"I'm going to kill you," Devin replied with a struggle. It drew a laugh from him as he leaned back from her. He tsked with his tongue and she swallowed down another shot of bile. Her arm was throbbing with pain and he grabbed it as he walked around her.

Yelping in pain she shut her eyes and stopped the tears about to explode. He twisted softly, rotating that broken bone in the skin and she screamed out in pain despite her best efforts to remain quiet. Tears streamed down her face now as he let go of her arm and traced a finger across her shoulder to her neck. She felt a shudder race through her and she couldn't stop the vomit this time as she pitched forward covering her shirt and pants.

"Oh, Devin, what a mess you just made," he said with a sigh as he came around the other side. His placed his hand flat against the back of her head and leaned down again. "Are you having fun yet?" With that he rotated his hand to the side of her head and pressed down on the gash causing her vision to swim and the room to rock sideways. Her stomach let loose again, emptying the rest of its contents down her front again.

Once her stomach stopped heaving she let her head drop unable to hold it up any longer. Pain radiated from her arm and head, making her unable to concentrate on anything else. She closed her eyes to stop the spinning and rocking of the room, hoping that she was strong enough to survive. She knew Gibbs would find her, or at least she hoped her uncle could…it was the only thing she could hold onto at the moment. Come quickly Uncle Leroy, or don't come at all.

"I want to ask you something, Devin, can you answer me?" He asked as he stood behind her again. She remained quiet, not answering him as she tried to compose herself and recollect with little consciousness she had remaining, but he wanted her answer.

She felt his grip tighten around her hair on the back of her head and he yanked her head back. She let out a loan moan of pain as her eyes rolled in their sockets. She wouldn't be able to take much more; her head injury was going to take her before he killed her. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, her brain told her.

"Devin!" He shouted into her ear making her jump.

"Yes," she managed to squeak out as her breathing came in harsh gasps. He reached down and gripped her arm once more causing her eyes to open wide as pain exploded along the appendage.

"Good, I have your attention again," he continued with a smile. "How on earth did you ever track me down after twenty years?"

"I didn't. You found me," Devin huffed out as she tried to let go of consciousness. His finger dug into the cut on her head and her eyes opened once again as fear and pain riddled her system with alert.

"What made you come looking?"

"Your voice," she answered in a whisper. "I'm not feeling well. Can I have a blanket? It's freezing in here."

She was rambling now and she knew she was at the end. How was she going to get out of this? But she couldn't answer those questions; she was having enough trouble just remembering who she was.

"My voice," he mused. "Where did you hear my voice?"

"Tape. Interview. Eriksson."

"James Eriksson? All this because you found the tape of my interview? That amuses me. I shouldn't have even been able to interview him. I'm not even an FBI agent," he replied with glee in his voice. Devin was confused. She looked up at him with unfocused eyes. She wasn't even sure if her left eye was even seeing anything anymore.

"Wha?" She tried but her mouth failed. It was getting harder and harder to remain alert. She let go and started to sink into the darkness.

"Ah, ah, ah, not yet, Devin," the man said before something sliced into her shoulder.

The intense pain jolted through her system and made her scream out again. This was not him manipulating an injury she already had. Forcing her head to the side seemed to take every ounce of strength and energy she had, but she managed to glance at what he had done. There was a long gash in her skin, and to her it looked to be very deep. She rolled her head up and looked at him and he stood with a knife in hand looking at her.

"Not time to go to sleep just yet," he said in a husky whisper. She wondered if this was how he got off. The thought made her want to vomit again, but there was nothing more to heave out. "As I was saying, I'm not even an FBI agent. I killed agent White and used his badge for almost six years before your dad figured it out. Pity that was such a good rouse while it lasted. Best one I got to use so far."

"How…how many people…have you…" Devin struggled to make words into coherent thought. He answered before she was finished.

"Oh I don't even know, Devin! I mean most men yeah they keep track, record, something I know, but me…I lost track a long time ago. I just like killing, the hunt, the torture, the death of it."

"That…the only way…you can…get off?" She managed to gruff out before her head dropped to her chest exhausted. She was fading again and she welcomed the darkness, until there was another searing white hot flame of pain that scorched through her shoulder again. He had made another incision slightly below the first one.

"Now, now, that's no way to talk to me," he said with a pout as he put the blade of the knife to her other shoulder. She screamed in pain once again as he cut a third swatch of skin. He leaned down close to her ear, his lips barely touching it. "You should have died twenty years ago, would have saved you this pain."

The knife dug into her thigh then and she bellowed out in pain. The mix of brain injury and loss of blood was starting to get to her and she knew that it wouldn't be long before she wasn't alive any longer. She felt weak, she felt like she was letting her family down.

"Please," she gasped unable to stop herself. Her eyes were half slits as she no longer had the strength to hold them open. He leaned in close, placing his cheek against hers, lightly licking her ear before he whispered against it.

"No," his voice was soft and made her shudder with dread. There was more to come, she knew that now. How strong could she be? Would she be able to hang on until they found her? Or would they be finding her dead body in the street somewhere, another victim.

The pain was overpowering her senses now and the loss of blood sent her body further into shook. She was shivering uncontrollably as the cold wracked her body. She felt the room spinning and tilting causing her to close her eyes again. This was the end she though as the blackness finally won over, engulfing her.


	34. Chapter 34

**AN: Hey sorry about the big break, life kind of got in the way. Was gone a lot over the last month and when I'm not gone I'm working now. But I will try to update more regularly on this as we are nearing the climax and end. Hope you're still enjoying. drs.**

* * *

Keller had barely stopped the car before Gibbs leaped from the passenger seat and moved swiftly to the wreckage the firemen were pulling apart. A white sheet was draped over the driver side of the vehicle and Gibbs felt his stomach clench. They knew one was dead and one was in critical, but they didn't know who.

Kate was suddenly beside him, her hand on his forearm, but it didn't take his concentration from his task. Pushing past two uniform cops, who were beginning to protest he couldn't go to the car, he came to a stop next to two firemen who had just finished cutting the frame of the damaged car.

Gibbs clenched his fists as he steadied himself to look into the car. He felt his chest tighten as he noticed Velleccio's nearly headless body slumped in the front, and Eddie's unconscious body twisted in the back. Devin was nowhere in sight and he felt panic rise up inside him.

He jerked his head up and glanced around. The car that had hit them had been towed to the side and was being loaded onto a flatbed hauler for transportation to the crime lab. Gibbs looked for another injured person and didn't see one, his mind started to spin questions. He grabbed a uniform cop by the arm, and felt Kate's grip on his arm tighten in warning. The gesture made him suck in a calming breath.

"Help you?" The uniform asked taken aback by Gibbs rough manner.

"Where's the driver of the other vehicle?" Gibbs asked pointing to the car now atop the flatbed hauler.

"Never found them. Seems that they fled the scene. Witnesses don't remember anyone getting out of the vehicle, but things happened pretty fast I guess. They're all pretty shook up," the uniform answered.

"And Devin. Where's Devin?" Gibbs continued.

"Who's Devin?" The uniform asked looking at Gibbs with confusion. "We only found the two in the car."

Gibbs nodded with a clenched jaw. He let go of the uniform's arm and spun around. Kate followed on his heels, as he came up to Keller who was standing on the passenger side of the car staring at Velleccio's lifeless body. Gibbs could see tears in the other man's eyes.

"Dammit," Keller mumbled under his breath. Gibbs was staring at Eddie as the fireman worked to free him from the wreckage. Gibbs started to study the car, looking for evidence of a struggle. Gibbs and Keller both took a step back as Eddie was finally freed from the car and transported to a stretcher.

Kate tapped Gibbs on the shoulder and he looked down at her. He could see her hesitate a moment before she looked at Eddie being loaded into the ambulance. She looked back at him before she spoke.

"Someone should go with him," she said softly, her hand still lingering on his shoulder. He closed his eyes briefly before nodding.

"Yeah, keep in touch," Gibbs grumbled out with a sigh. She gave his shoulder a squeeze before she jogged to the back of the ambulance. He watched her talk with the paramedic before flashing her badge at him. He seemed to nod at her reluctantly and Kate climbed aboard. He turned his attention back to the car. Edwards, Conner, and Guillermo had all shown up.

The three men were snapping pictures and processing the crime scene when a Scientific Investigation Division van rolled to a stop and two SID techs ambled out and started to unload their gear. Keller was still standing on the passenger side staring at Velleccio's body. Gibbs stepped up next to the other detective.

"He had a wife, and a little boy, Eric. He's two," Keller mumbled. "I'm gonna have to go and tell Vicki her husband is dead."

Gibbs could only nod. Notifying next of kin was never an easy job, and he was glad he didn't have to tell the widow on this one. It's always worse when it's one of your own. Feeling that Keller was going to be out of commission until he dealt with the situation, Gibbs moved over to Guillermo.

"What's it look like so far?" Gibbs asked pushing a calmness to the outside.

"No one said they actually saw the accident happen. Someone did say they saw a man getting into a SUV and driving away after the fact, but no one saw a driver get out of the other car, and no one saw a woman leave this one. And none of them claim to have heard a gun shot," Guillermo replied with a tired edge to his words.

"Silencer. Must have been quick."

"Well I'm guessing the accident happened quickly and if he was ready to move and uninjured, he could have made it to this side of the car, shot Kid in the head, and yanked Riley through the window. She's small enough to have fit without too much struggle."

"Any trace left in the other car at all?" Gibbs asked feeling the frustration building.

"It was documented in place and then we had it moved to free up a traffic lane. SID will go through it back at the lab. We can't move this one until…the ME clears the body," Guillermo replied with a sigh.

"Anything more on the SUV? Make model anything? Description of the man?"

"Well we got he was shorter than me and I'm six one. He was anywhere from 160 to 190 pounds depending on which witness you ask. He had black hair with silver streaks, they all agreed on that, and I got three people saying he had the bluest eyes they had ever seen, so I'm assuming he's got some stunning eyes. Might help, maybe people will remember."

"Not much to go on," Gibbs growled out.

"Not yet. Our best SID guy is going through the one car back at the lab. He'll find something," Guillermo said as he went back to work processing the car. Gibbs took a step back and found Keller talking to a police officer in uniform. He approached the two, scanning the scene for anything out of the ordinary.

As Keller finished up with the uniformed officer Gibbs stopped beside him. Waiting for the other man to walk away, Gibbs composed his thoughts on how best to attack their current problem. Devin was missing and Eddie was in critical condition, the man responsible also killed Detective Velleccio, and every LAPD cop was going to want a piece of this man. They needed a way to locate him, and they needed it fast.

"We should go back to running down FBI Agent White," Gibbs said as his eyes scanned the scene.

"Probably our best bet on finding this fucker," Keller replied with venom. "Tell you what I'll have Peter Rabbit take you back to the office and help you run this down. I got to take a trip to see Vicki Velleccio and tell her about her husband."

Gibbs simply nodded. Keller led him over to a short but solidly built man in his late thirties with a marine hair cut and a stony face. After being introduced to Detective Peter Willis, AKA Peter Rabbit, the two made their way to a car. Silence filled the air as neither man spoke. Each filled with differing emotion of the scene they just left, but both ready to track down the same man. Gibbs cell phone shattered the quiet. Pulling the device from his belt he saw it was Tony returning his call already.

"Yeah Gibbs," he barked into the phone.

"Ah, hey, Boss, DiNozzo here," Tony replied to the harshness in Gibbs' voice. Gibbs closed his eyes and steadied himself.

"Whatdaya get, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked in a calmer voice.

"I got a full jacket on Alpert from the DEA, seems the man has been missing since 1982, he just vanished off the face of the planet as far as anyone could tell back then. But I talked his service record and personal data out of a woman at the DEA headquarters; it's coming tomorrow by mail."

"And White?" Gibbs asked anxiously. He could tell Tony picked up on that when he answered.

"That's another story. I couldn't get into his file, I didn't have high enough clearance, which is weird because I should and…"

"Tony."

"Right, anyway, I couldn't get his service record. So I did a search on him and got several newspaper clippings from all over the west, California, Arizona, Washington state, Oregon, and Nevada. The man seemed to like to make headlines. Then he just faded from the spotlight. Seems he then retired, or vanished like the others. Can I ask what's going on, Boss?"

"I guess I could tell you what's going on," Gibbs replied the exhaustion creeping into his voice. "I'm working a case for someone I know who works for Baltimore PD. She's looking into a murder from twenty years ago and it's now connected with several others, including two that happened since I came out here."

"Baltimore PD. That why you were asking about Eddie Miller? You helping Miller?"

"No, DiNozzo, but I am helping his partner Devin Riley. Keep looking into White, see what you can find. And once you get a copy of Alpert's file fill me in. I've got work to do out here, Devin's missing and we think that maybe the killer has her."

"We can be in Los Angeles in five hours, Boss," Tony said suddenly. Gibbs sighed.

"We've got it handled on this end, DiNozzo, keep hitting it on that end…but thank you," Gibbs answered before snapping his phone shut. He knew DiNozzo was stunned on the other end.

"Find anything out on White?" Willis asked as he drove. Gibbs glanced at the man and shrugged.

"Not really. We're having trouble accessing his file. Seems someone sealed it up and doesn't intend on it opening up again. We did find numerous newspaper clippings on the man though," Gibbs replied.

They had been back at Parker Center for twenty minutes when Kate called Gibbs. He pulled his phone from his belt once again and put it to his ear, almost dreading what he was about to hear.

"Yeah Gibbs," he said softly.

"Eddie's in surgery. He's in pretty bad shape but the doctor seemed optimistic when they rushed him to the OR. His right leg is broken in three places, his right shoulder is dislocated and there is possible muscle damage, his clavicle was broken, and he has internal bleeding from a broken rib, which also punctured his right lung. He has extensive bruising on his left side, and the doctor thinks he hit something solid in the car when shoved sideways."

"He was thrown into Devin," Gibbs said.

"That's the best bet the doctor came up with. An impact like that, Gibbs…she's probably in pretty bad shape," Kate said her voice dropping slightly as she finished.

"I'll find her," Gibbs rumbled before simply listening to Kate on the other side. He closed his eyes and didn't know where to go from here.

"I'll stay here until Eddie's in recovery. Call me if anything comes up."

"Yeah," Gibbs replied softly.

"Watch your six, Gibbs," Kate said just before Gibbs snapped his phone shut.


	35. Chapter 35

**WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER**

**AN: Hey sorry about the wait, but I've been dealing with burying a dear friend this past week so not a lot of time to write between that and work. But here is chapter 35. Hope you enjoy this piece of the puzzle, and again I warn that this does contain graphic content. Let me know what you think. drs.**

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Something awful assaulted Devin's sense of smell and her mind suddenly jolted from the blissful darkness into the searing pain of reality. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut as the smell slowly faded away. Cracking her eyes slightly, her foggy brain struggled to piece together where she was and why.

A shadow of a figure loomed in front of her and her arm throbbed with multiple levels of humming pain. Her other shoulder was warm and sticky, and stung like she had an open wound. The cogs of her thoughts ran slowly as she felt the overwhelming sense of panic taking hold. She had no idea where she was. She tried to move her arms, but found they were restrained. She shifted her legs only to gasp at the sudden charge of pain in her thigh, before realizing that they too were restrained.

Her breathing was labored and becoming more and more difficult with each passing pull of air, pain ran freely through her entire body as she wished she could simply fade back to the blackness she had been cocooned in just moments before. Her head sounded like a freight train was rushing by, her heart pounding madly in her chest. Someone was speaking to her but she couldn't make out the words, her brain was too sluggish to understand.

She let out a deep moan of pain as something scorched the skin on her right arm slightly above the elbow. She rolled her head to that side and glanced down to see a flame crisping the skin to a dull black. She started to feel the bile rising in her throat as her head rolled back to center. The smell of vomit assaulted her and she fought desperately to hold back what she thought was more.

"Stop, please stop," she whispered as she swallowed, breathing harshly. A face appeared before her as the flame left her skin, only to move to the other arm. She forced her eyes open to see a man standing in front of her, mad smile on his lips, pressing the flame to her left arm. "Nooo," she moaned in desperation as the skin blackened and the pain touched her nerves.

"My dear Devin, I won't stop. Not until your heart gives out. I'm having too much fun," the man whispered into her ear, his lips nipping at the earlobe. Memories ambushed her confused brain and she now knew who he was. "You're the one that got away."

His heavy breathing on her neck made her shudder and try to pull away, but between lack of strength and restraints she was forced to endure. Anger flooded her body as she felt his lips caress her neck, sucking and nipping lightly as he moved the torch away from her skin. Pulling his head back he grinned down at her, before dropping the torch. He pulled a knife from his belt and grabbed the front of her shirt.

"I'm going to kill you," Devin managed to spit out as she mustered all the strength she could. He laughed manically at her then, his wide grin bearing down on her. He leaned down to eye level with her. With the shirt still pulled tight in his right hand, he started to hack at it with the knife in his left.

"Fat chance of that, Baby. I'm going to have my fun, then kill you, and there is nothing you can do about it," he breathed in a husky whisper as he leaned forward and started to kiss her. She fought with everything she had but he overpowered her, moving from her lips to her jaw. The knife finally reached the bottom of her shirt and he ripped it roughly off her shoulders so it simply hung down her arms, bearing her bra clad chest to him.

"My uncle and partner will hunt you down," Devin spat as she tried to get away from him. He chuckled against her neck, his tongue lazily tracing her pulse. He put the knife back on his belt, as his left hand moved to cup her breast. He picked up the torch with his right and fired it up again.

"Your partner is dead, sweetie, the accident took care of him," he replied as his hand gently squeezed her breast. "No sense thinking HE's coming to save you." The torch touched her bare stomach and she yelped in anguish as the flame burnt her skin. Devin felt the tears leaking down her cheeks as she could no longer hold her self together.

His mouth was aggressively attacking her neck, sucking, licking, nipping, and kissing making her stomach flip in knots. His hand was kneading her breast in a rhythmic fashion as he touched her skin once more with the open flame. Her body spasmed in pain and anger and she could feel him smiling against her skin.

"Fucking bastard," she ground out as she fought the restraints with no result. Her strength was quickly fading.

"Yes, I am," he replied as he took the torch around to her back, burning her on there are well. She cried out loudly that time as she was finally reaching her breaking point. Tears were running freely now as she admitted to herself that this was going to happen to her, and she was probably going to die by his hand, but after, and only after, he had his way with her.

He slowly lowered himself into her lap, pressing against her with the torch on her shoulder as he continued to fondle her chest. His lips were kissing her collar as she closed her eyes and tried to mentally remove herself from where she was. She could feel how aroused he was through his pants and she wanted to scream knowing what was coming next.

She felt her bra drop freely from her breasts, exposing her fully to him. His mouth dropped down sucking her nipple into his mouth and she bucked violently against her restraints, only succeeding in causing a sharp shooting pain to erupt in her body. She wailed out, unable to hold on any longer. The torch touched her skin again and she sobbed uncontrollably as the pain rocketed through her.

His hips rocked against hers in a rhythmic motion as she felt him growing against her. His mouth continued to assault her exposed skin as the flame burned behind it. He suddenly dropped the torch to the ground and stood from the chair. His manic smile brought sobs to her face as she waited for the rest. He roughly unshackled her from the chair, and with her last fleeting strength she made a ploy to overpower him and escape. He simply wrapped an arm around her tightly before punching her in the jaw with his other fist. The blow rocked her already damaged head and she felt her world spinning as stars exploded in front of her eyes. Limp and unable to move, she felt her body being picked up and carried. Semi conscious she knew what was next.

She felt her body drop onto something soft, it bounced gently a few times before she felt the cold metal of cuffs snap around first one wrist then the other. Her arms were outstretched over her head. Her left leg was yanked and a cuff was shackled around her ankle. He repeated the same process on the other side, strapping her spread eagle. She opened her heavy lids and found him slipping his body over top of her, straddling her.

He continued his exploration of her body, kissing, nipping, sucking, and licking, his way from her head to her waist. She felt her belt being undone and slipped from the belt lops, before the pants being unbuttoned and zipped. She whimpered in response because it was the only thing she could do. She was fading fast and she knew it. Having her broken arm shackled the way it was made the pain increase and she wished it would stop, knowing that the pain was the only thing keeping her conscious, as was his goal.

Her pants slid down her thighs, and he left them bunched around her knees. She had never felt so lost and exposed as she did in that moment, clad only in panties, that she knew were next to go, spread eagle in front of him. She felt like an offering and sobbed in the overwhelming panic that overtook her.

"Please," she whispered again, sure her pleas only fueled him more but unable to stop herself. He pushed his still fully clothed body flush against hers and smiled. His face hovering barely above hers, as he rocked roughly against her.

"There is no going back now, Devin. I'm going to take you, torture you, and kill you," he whispered in a heady voice as if speaking terms of endearment. It made her body convulse, as sobs wracked her. This was it then, this was how it was going to end.

His lips returned to her skin, as did the knife. Her eyes shot open as the blade cut into her ribs, slicing a thing layer of skin off. She yelped in pain and pushed against the bed, trying to escape the pain. He ground his crotch harder against her at that moment as he moaned in pleasure. She pulled her head as far forward as her strength would allow and bit down on his shoulder.

His moan was not one of pain but of pleasure and Devin immediately released her teeth appalled. He rocked harder and she felt her body betraying her as moisture soaked her panties. She gasped again as the knife sliced another layer of skin along her left rib cage before she felt his hand at the waist band of her panties.

"Please don't stop, bite me again, Baby," he huffed in her face as his finger dove into her folds. She whimpered and clamped her eyes shut as differing emotions exploded in her stomach. She was appalled to be violated in such a way, yet her body responded as it should, making her angry. She tried to kick her knee forward, but the cuff dug into her ankle and slammed her leg back down. "Ah, keep fighting, Devin, I like it that way."

Another of his fingers made its way in and she sobbed in horror. This can not be happening she thought. She felt her body building, as his fingers manipulated her and she fought to hold on to her climax, denying him his satisfaction. He dropped the knife and brought his other hand underneath her, as he worked a third finger into the action. His mouth found a breast and she wiggled trying to dislodge it from his mouth. She failed in her attempt and felt herself flush, holding desperately to her control.

His other hand cupped her ass. She clamped her eyes shut and distanced herself from the scene. She took herself into her mind, the fog and debris from her injuries making it hard to focus, but she managed to build a room for herself. She closed off the door, and pretended that Eddie was next to her holding her. His voice softly telling her it was going to be ok. At some point she knew she lost control and her body did as he wanted.

She expected to be raped after that, but he simply pushed himself up so he was sitting on her hips and pulled the knife up. Maybe this was it, she thought, he was going to kill me now and this will all be over. Her mind was slipping into the blackness again and he didn't seem to be trying to keep her awake. But then the knife dropped and plunged between two ribs and her eyes darted open as she gasped in agony.

She didn't know how deep the blade went, or how bad the damage was, but she knew he had just stabbed her. His hand caressed her face gently as he watched the pain dance in her eyes a moment before unconsciousness worked its way back in. Just as she was about to succumbed to the darkness he spoke. She struggled to comprehend the words.

"You're beautiful, just as your mother was," he said gently as he stroked her face. She felt the revulsion wash over her briefly before there was nothing at all.


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: So sorry about the long delay! For those that didnt see in my profile I broke my arm nine weeks ago and could not type because of the pain putting pressure on my fingers caused. But alas! I am fully healed now and able to type wtih ease again and so here is the next chapter! I hope to keep moving again, now that I'm not limited in what I can do! Enjoy. drs.**

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Half an hour had passed and Gibbs couldn't concentrate. They were spinning their wheels in the mud and no closer to finding White or Devin. The ideas were quickly running out and nothing was panning out. She had simply vanished with the six foot black haired blue eyed man in an SUV.

Gibbs could feel the thick tension in the room, almost choking those milling about looking for answers. Willis and Rayford were sitting at the table with him looking through what they had, but frustration was beginning to cloud judgment. Gibbs finally stood, pushing his palms hard against the table top.

"Find Jordan," he said harshly as the last straw broke in his mind. Rayford and Willis both looked up at him with question in their eyes.

"How can Jordan help?" Rayford asked shaking his head. "Man's a fucking administrator with political blinders. He wouldn't know police work…"

"He KNEW what was going on twenty years ago. He knows now," Gibbs barked in a stern command. Rayford paused as Willis started to nod.

"Wex said something the other day about Jordan knowing more than he says. Now Wex is dead. I think Agent Gibbs is right," Willis retorted. "We need to get AC Danforth to bring DC Jordan in."

"I'm on it. My dad can pull that weight," Rayford replied as he scooped up a phone and punched in a number. Gibbs pushed away from the table and began pacing. His mind was a blaze of thoughts and he needed to focus them if he was going to find Devin in time. He walked to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup; downing it in one gulp he refilled it.

When he returned to the table Rayford informed him that the wheels were in motion and Jordan should be there within the next half hour. Gibbs just hoped it was soon enough. Too much time had passed since the accident, too much could have happened to Devin already.

He spent the next half hour searching for information on Agent White, but he was running into the same problem that DiNozzo had. He didn't seem to have the right clearance to access the file. He thought about calling Fornell and asking him why, but he knew that Fornell was already drawing attention and he didn't want to have someone step in and block the investigation.

Gibbs looked up and saw Jordan coming into the squad room looking put out. The Deputy Chief's face was blotched with red, his eyes flaming with anger. He thought he was going to have the upper hand in this, but Gibbs knew he was sorely mistaken. Gibbs rose from his seat and tapped Willis on the shoulder. The two men moved towards Jordan in unison, each holding their face void of emotion.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jordan spat out in disgust, looking for the highest ranking officer in the room. He seemed upset to find no one higher than the detectives there. And Gibbs noticed a particularly venomous look shot at him.

"Come with us, Deputy Chief, we have some questions for you," Willis said in a very steady voice. Gibbs stood stone faced and waited for Jordan to reply.

"I will not," Jordan huffed indignantly. Gibbs reached out and grabbed the man's arm roughly and spun, tugging the Deputy Chief along with him. "What's the meaning of this!? Let me go!"

Gibbs held tight as Jordan struggled to remove the hand from his arm. Moving towards the open interrogation room, Gibbs continued to man handle Jordan behind him. Willis was close on their heels; a hand in the middle of Jordan's hand.

"I'll have your badge for this, Agent Gibbs!" Jordan growled out as he continued to fight.

"And I could place you under arrest for obstructing justice," Willis sneered from behind. Jordan spun his head around quickly glaring at the younger detective.

"And you'd lose your badge for harassment! Not that you're going to keep it now," Jordan grunted as they rounded the corner and Gibbs roughly dragged him through the doorway. Once they came to the table Gibbs spun around so he was face to face with Jordan.

"Sidown," Gibbs said in a low tone that made Jordan pause. There was something in Gibbs' eyes that made Jordan take note, this was serious. The Deputy Chief paused briefly, weighing his options, before he slowly sank into the chair, never breaking eye contact from Gibbs. Willis slid into one of the chairs opposite of Jordan but Gibbs remained standing. He was too full of energy to sit any longer.

"What's the meaning of all this?" Jordan demanded again in a high tone. Gibbs could tell the man was starting to get nervous and come undone.

"Tell me about Agent White," Willis began and Jordan snapped his gaze to the detective. Gibbs watched the older man's eyes and noticed the recognition there.

"I don't know who you're talking about," Jordan returned after a pause. Gibbs' hand dropped onto Jordan's shoulder and he squeezed.

"Try again," Gibbs said in an eerily calm voice that made Jordan lick his lips nervously. Jordan looked from Willis to Gibbs and back again. Gibbs tightened his hand. "You're wasting precious time."

"I don't know…" Jordan began to protest again and Gibbs squeezed his shoulder so hard the man yelped in pain and surprise.

"Stop," Gibbs said in a low growl that made Jordan take in a shaky breath. "Twenty years ago. Agent White. You KNEW what was going on."

"I don't…" Jordan said in a weak voice and stopped. Gibbs was losing his patience. Devin was running out of time.

"If Devin dies because you're in here fucking around, I swear you'll wish you were dead," Gibbs said in a quiet harsh whisper, leaning down to say it directly into Jordan's ear. He felt the other man shiver with fear.

"He was with the FBI. He worked cases with us, that's all I know!" Jordan replied in a high pitched whine. Gibbs was growing irritated with the man.

"Don't lie to me," Gibbs returned as he squeezed Jordan's shoulder again. "You KNEW what was going on. He's doing it again, you dumb bastard, he's killing again."

"No," Jordan whispered his eyes big in shock. "He…he promised…said…no…he said he…wouldn't."

"HE IS," Willis shouted. "He killed Wex, Kid, and he's got Riley. What the fuck is wrong with you Jordan! Stop covering your own fuck up and help us find White.

"His name isn't White," Jordan said in a release of breath. His lungs were doing overtime just trying to keep up.

"Who is he?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know his real name! It wasn't part of the deal."

"What deal?" Willis asked in anger. "You made a deal with a fucking serial killer?"

"He promised not to kill anymore in Los Angeles! He promised not to kill those of us who KNEW!"

"So you saved your own ass in order to let a man you KNEW was a killer go?" Willis asked disgusted.

"You weren't there! You don't know!" Jordan said close to tears.

"How do we find him!?" Gibbs barked losing his patience again. He was tired of this worthless banter and wanted some solid information from Jordan.

"I don't know! He…he used to…there was a house in the harbor division that he used to use. I don't even know if that building is still there!"

"What building?" Willis asked.

"It was…I don't know…it…was twenty years ago." Jordan stammered.

"THINK!" Gibbs bellowed as he slammed his hand palm flat against the table. The noise made Jordan jump.

"It was…I think…I…," Jordan stumbled before his eyes lit up and he sat straighter in the chair. "Barrywood Avenue and Capital Drive!"

"On the corner?" Willis asked as he pulled his phone off his belt.

"I think. It's in that area, the baseball fields. I remember the baseball fields," Jordan mumbled as his eyes searched the table top for answers. Gibbs watched as Willis used his phone to alert Harbor Division and have them send units to the area to search. Gibbs leaned down to Jordan's ear again.

"I want you to think real hard right now. I want you to come up with that house in your head and I want you to remember where it was," he whispered in a voice that sent a shiver through Jordan again.

"I told you Barrywood and Capit…"

"Specific this time," Gibbs growled in his ear and Jordan licked his lips again.

"Uh, it was by the baseball fields but I can't remember. It's been twenty years," Jordan said in a panicked whisper. Gibbs pushed away from the man and headed for the door signaling Willis to follow. They left Jordan to sit in the interrogation room.

"You think he's telling the truth?" Willis asked.

"No," Gibbs said with a sigh. "But it's the only lead we got right now. Get someone on the search, let Jordan go and have someone follow him. Maybe he'll lead us to White."

"I'm on it," Willis replied as he used his phone again. Gibbs was antsy and wanted to be doing something. He decided to head towards the Harbor Division and see if they could hunt down this house. He went to Rayford in the bullpen.

"You know Harbor Division well?" Gibbs asked the younger man. He looked up from the file he had in front of him and nodded.

"Yeah, well enough to get around in."

"Barrywood and Capital. You know that area?"

"I think so, what's up?"

"Possible location on Devin," Gibbs replied quickly.

"Let's go," Rayford said standing up and pulling keys from his pocket. Gibbs nodded and followed the younger man towards the door. They ran into Willis on the way out.

"I'm going to follow Jordan myself," Willis said to Gibbs as they passed. "I'll call if it looks he's being suspicious."

"I've got the rover on me," Rayford said holding up the two way radio as they left the building.


	37. Chapter 37

Devin felt the darkness start to lift. The fog covering in her mind was starting to dissipate and she felt the first tingling of conscious thought tickle her brain. She was coming around on her own this time, which meant _he_ was probably not in the room, although this thought never occurred to her. She was still confused as to where she was and what she was doing.

As her eyes blinked open, once, twice, a couple more times, the brightness of the room started to hit, spiking pain through her skull like someone had hit her with a sledge hammer. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath only to feel her stomach roll around. She felt a chill rack her body and slowly moved her head back and forth trying desperately to knock the cobwebs away.

But slowly the day's events trickled into her mind's eye and she groaned with pain and shattered hope. She had been assaulted by the man that had killed her family, and she laid here now his captive in some sick joke. The burns on her skin screamed in agony, the cuts stung with ferocious power, her head swam with blurred imagery in a haze of confusion, and her stomach was knotted in pain. Her right arm ached with throbbing she had never experienced before and when she tried to move it a whimper escaped her lips.

She tried to move her left arm then and suddenly panicked. It wasn't where she thought it was and it didn't move when she tried. What the hell was going on? She frantically shifted her head to the left, regretting the sudden movement full force after it was done. Her head exploded in a colorful display of fireworks as pain knifed its way from temple to temple. She moaned loudly as she fought to control the spasms in her stomach. When the pain and nausea subsided she opened her eyes and gazed to her left.

Her arm was up over her head, attached to the post of the bed. She felt confused for a moment and shifted her legs. It came back to her after a moment and she realized she was still shackled to the bed, just not spread eagle anymore. He had released three of her limbs, but the fourth remained shackled so she could not escape.

It was numb from being in the position it was in for however long. It occurred to her then that she didn't know how long she had been unconscious, or what he had done while she was out. That scared her the most. It was then she noticed the bed under her was wet and sticky. She ducked her head, trying to see what she was feeling and felt the dread soak through her body. The white sheets were soaked with blood…her blood. There was a cut on her ribs that was pretty deep, but she couldn't tell how badly she was hurt.

Despair and panic hit her full force as she began to realize she was going to die here. There was no hope of her getting out, this man was going to do whatever he wanted…and then kill her with a smile on his face. As this new depression sank in something in her mind kicked up. _NO_, a voice screamed at her, _we can't give up yet_. It was Eddie's voice she realized, his voice talking to her through her subconscious. Then her captor's words hit her, _you're partner is dead, no use thinking HE's coming to save you._ But was it true? Had Eddie died…how had she gotten hurt in the first place?

Her disconnected mind was fading in and out of coherency and she couldn't remember what she was doing or where she was. Hell she didn't even know how she got there. Then it all flooded back in an instant. The accident. How long would she remember this time?

"_You need to fight, you need to come up with a plan of action," Eddie's voice whispered in her mind._

But how? She was in no condition to wage a fight with this man. He'd simply over power her, and then…punish her. She knew that now, he'd punish her and then he'd kill her. But there had to be something she could do! Lying her waiting to be assaulted again didn't have much appeal to her. What could she do? She started to look around her, searching for anything she could use against him. As she shifted on the bed something poked in the back. It was then the realization dawned on her…she was still naked. She pushed the vain thought from her head, no time for that, must find something…

There is was again, something poking her in the back, just above her ass. She rolled to the side slowly, handling the pain and nausea in her body as it rocketed through her nerves once more, with difficulty. She forced her right arm to move, yelping at the pain that coursed through the bone. It was broken she reasoned, most likely from the accident, but the facts of what really happened had escaped her mind. She concentrated on the thing poking her.

With great strength and all the determination she could muster, she wrapped her fingers around something sticking up through the blood soaked sheets. Ignoring the pain in her arm, she yanked as hard as she could on the offending object and felt it move slightly. She ran her fingers along it and felt the pointed end and the roll of wire. She smiled softly, it was a bed spring and the tip had a very sharp edge to it.

Pulling everything she had together she yanked on the spring one more time and heard it give way with a small snap. She relaxed her muscles immediately, causing herself to go limp as the pain overwhelmed her senses. Breathing harshly she lay perfectly still trying to go inside her head to control the sensations running rampant through her body. It over took her and she drifted into the darkness once again, leaving the pain and misery behind.


	38. Chapter 38

**WARNING: GRAPHIC MATERIAL IN THIS CHAPTER**

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Jordan left as soon as they let him. He was shaking and his mind was racing. He couldn't let them catch Donovan, or White as they knew him; he couldn't let them question him. His future depended on it. How could he come back!? How could he ruin his life?! Jordan worked hard at steadying his breathing. He had sent them on a wild goose chase. That NCIS agent hadn't believed him, not fully, but he had taken the bait. It was a long drive out to Harbor Division and then a search and the drive back…he'd be done and it would all be over by then.

His mind had immediately started to form a plan once they had told him what was going on. He hadn't wanted to believe it. He hadn't wanted to remember what had happened, but that snot nosed brat they missed all those years ago came back. SHE had to ruin it! They had been so careful. And now…now HE had a mess to clean up. How could Donovan do this to him? They had made a deal, and he had never gone back on it, so what made Donovan break it?

Her, Jordan thought. That bitch Riley, if he had killed her, finished the job twenty years ago, this would not be happening. He sucked in a deep breath. That was a mistake he thought would never come back on him. He thought they had been safe. But then she showed up and he about crapped his pants right there. It dawned on him now…this was all his fault. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut, let them play detective, hit the dead ends…but no he had picked up the phone.

In his panic, after seeing her in that conference room, he had made a phone call. To a number had had not called in a very long time. He left a message, knowing that Donovan would not answer it. He was never near that phone; it was simply there for contact. He had told him about Devin Riley, and that was his mistake. He KNEW Donovan wouldn't be able to resist.

Jordan slammed his palm off the steering wheel in frustration, and now his world was beginning to come undone. The strings were unraveling and those two NCIS agents were closing in, along with the RHD detectives. And now they were hunting with even more ferocity because Donovan had killed two of their own. The anger was boiling inside him and he let it simmer.

Making his way off the Hollywood Freeway onto Bellevue Avenue, he failed to notice the car following behind him. He took Bellevue to Glendale Boulevard around Echo Lake, towards Montrose Street. It had been a long time since he had visited this house. But he would never forget it. Taking a left turn onto Montrose he slowed as his stomach felt the tingle of anticipation. He had a great many memories of this house, and he felt himself feeling the rush once again. But he pushed it all down, he had to focus if he was going to accomplish what he had come to do…kill Drake Donovan once and for all and escape the hold his friend held over him.

Slowly he pulled the car to the side of Montrose at the corner of Bonnie Brae Street and parked. Again he failed to notice the car slowly ease past him and pull over a block up the road. No, his attention was fixed on the house at the corner, the house where so much had happened, and his future hinged on his past. If anyone were to know what he had done, what he had helped and participated in twenty years ago, he would go to prison and await the needle. This he could not have. No, he would take care of the last remaining straw, the only string that could unravel the entire ball of yarn he had carefully spun around his life.

He shut the car off and got out of his vehicle. Carefully he made his way to the house, looking to see if Donovan was even there, but then he knew…just knew his friend was there. Where else would he take her? This was their sanctuary; this is where it all happened, except the Riley family. But that had been different. Duncan Riley had figured it out and it had scared the crap out of him.

One of his own detectives had finally put two and two together and almost brought him down. But he had won in the end; he and Donovan had taken care of Riley, and gotten the stupid notebook that Riley had written their names down in.

That night flooded back to him. Knocking on Riley's front door, waiting for the man to invite him in. Donovan had been with him that night. They had argued with Duncan over the notebook, had tried to reason with the man and give him enough to retire on and have a perfect life, but no. Duncan Riley was a crusader through and through. He would not be bought; he would not be paid off. So they had resorted to torture to find the notebook. They needed to know where he had put it, for it could not fall into the wrong hands.

No one could know that Detective Duncan Riley had suspected Captain Alexander Jordan and FBI Agent Patrick White of killing numerous people. No. They had it all set up to pin all their killings on that asshole Drogan, but no, Riley just wouldn't swallow that bone. And after doing some digging he had alerted too many FBI agents and cops. In the end the killing spree had been intense but they had cleared everything up and Jordan had gone on with his happy existence in the LAPD, except they had missed Devin Riley.

This was something he didn't know about until later. Until the girl's grandparents had whisked her off to Pennsylvania, and he had felt a weight on his chest. He and Donovan had waited for that call, the one to say hey that little girl that survived, well she remember and guess what…she said you and your pal there are murders. What you have to say to that, Captain Jordan ole buddy?

But that call had never come and he had slowly eased back into his life and forgotten all about Devin Riley…until she showed up once again. And now he was positive that she was in this house, being tortured by Donovan, and he was here. It was here where it all started, that it would all end. But the thought of Donovan in their torturing and assaulting Devin Riley had got him thinking. Maybe after he killed Donovan he would revive the old urge, take his shot at Devin and then kill her. If he wasn't too late that is.

He walked through the front door without even knocking. He knew that Donovan still owned the house, so he wasn't afraid of walking in on strangers. But the house was quiet, deserted. Jordan knew better, but that was the impression it gave when you first walked in. He moved through the living room and into the kitchen. The door was hidden behind the wall cabinet. He reached behind the shelf second from the top and unlatched the loop that kept it firm to the wall. The cabinet creaked softly on its hinges as it swung slowly out exposing the wood panel behind it.

To the unknowing the wood panel looked smooth and the same as the rest of the walls. But Jordan knew better. He had passed through this opening more times than he could remember, so it was easy for him to find the small notch. Slipping his index finger into the notch he first pushed down and then drew it towards himself. There was a light click as the lock gave way and the panel swung out leaving a doorway behind it.

Jordan breathed in deeply as he felt the sudden arousal that coursed through his body. It had been a long time since he had done this and the last time he had come through this door had been to rape and torture a seventeen year old runaway. He felt the sensations flood him as the memories came forth. His lips cracked into a smile as his penis stiffened in his pants. But then he pushed those thoughts away. He needed to concentrate if he was going to find Donovan…and kill him.

The stairs leading down were dimly lit, but Jordan still knew them. He had no problem navigating down the staircase and into the dark basement below the house. Crossing carefully, making the least amount of noise possible, Jordan pulled his gun from the holster on his hip. Coming to the far side of the small room Jordan knew there was another door leading to a secret room.

If you didn't know it was there you would never find it, but he knew where to look. He ran his hand slowly along the hidden door frame, feeling the tingling and anticipation in his groin as he did so. Another smile plastered its way on his face as he reached up and pushed a button on the ceiling. The door popped open an inch with a hiss of releasing air, and Jordan sucked it in with a deep breath.

Gripping the edge he opened the door the rest of the way and made his way into the darkness soundlessly. His heart quickened as heat flooded his body. Adrenaline raced through his veins as he thought about what he was about to do. Holding the gun up in front of him, his eyes continued to scan the darkness looking for shadows. He could see the light at the end of the hallway, coming from under the second door.

Once in front of that second door he paused, placing his ear to it, listening. No sound. He felt a pang of disappointment race though him, knowing that if there was no sound at all most likely Donovan was not in there at the moment. But he wouldn't know for sure until he checked. He fished his key ring from his pocket, lowering his gun as he did so, looking for the small key that fit the lock on this door.

He was never sure why he had kept this key, but as he slipped it into the lock and turned it he was glad he had. The door opened and he stepped into the brightly lit room. There was still a bed in the far corner, and a chair in the center of the room, both equipped with restraints. His penis hardened at the memories that assaulted him as he came fully inside and shut the door behind him. And he licked his lips as his eyes fell on the bed. Devin Riley was shackled by one arm to the bed post, her body cut, burned, and bruised, but more importantly fully nude for his wandering eyes.

He walked to her side and stared down at her, taking in her build and her nakedness. Her breasts moved up and down with each shallow breath she took and ass was sticking up as she lay awkwardly on her side. Feeling his heart rate explode in anticipation and the blood rush directly to his crotch, Jordan couldn't resist. He would find Donovan later, right now he wanted to punish Devin Riley for bringing this upon him after twenty years.

Putting his gun down, he reached out and caressed one of her breast, feeling the soft skin under his rough hands. Heat seared though him as his primal urges over took him. He thought about the devices in the room for torture and decided he wouldn't have time to properly play with Riley; no he would simply mount her, punish her, kill her, and then look for Donovan.

He reached for her left leg and yanked it hard to the corner, snapping the cuff on it as he got it close enough. She didn't wake, simply let out a soft moan. A sound that flushed Jordan's system once again. It had been a long time since he was this aroused. Normal sexual encounters with women rarely worked him up this much. He then reached over and roughly shackled her right leg to the opposite corner. With her legs spread he paid no heed to her arm, the swollen dark mass told him it was broken and probably useless against him anyway.

His next move was to undo his belt and pants, dropping them to the floor and slipping his boxers off, tossing his shirt onto the pile as well. He was a little disappointed she was still unconscious and then he remembered that Donovan always kept stuff for reviving their victims on hand. He searched the cabinet on the wall and smiled when he found the smelling salts.

Taking one of the small sticks over to her, he snapped it under her nose and held it there. She wiggled violently and her face scrunched up as she slowly came out of her stupor. He could see she was foggy and vague in what was happening or where she was and he figured the trauma of whatever Donovan had done to her, plus the accident she had been in caused this. But it was no concern to him. His concern was mounting her.

He stroked her cheek slowly after throwing the smelling salts to the ground and smiled down at her. Devin's eyes rolled around as she slowly came fully back to reality and he waited. Finally they stopped and locked onto his and he saw the flash of confusion come over her. He was not what she was expecting. He leaned down and kissed her neck, sliding a hand down to her breast and he felt her shudder with disgust. She was going to be a fighter he could tell and that excited him more.

She shifted under him, trying to get away he assumed, as he threw his leg up over her body. As he slid over the top of her he felt her move so that her right arm came up quickly. A smile crossed his lips as he thought about the futility of this move until a sharp sudden pain erupted in his belly. Then again, and again. He looked down and saw his blood spilling out as she thrust her hand forward again stabbing in the chest this time. A feral look of determination was grimaced across her face as she looked him in the eye and continued to blindly stab at his chest. He felt something puncture his skin over and over again, ripping his flesh deeply. He sat up, grasping at her hand wildly but she managed to elude him several times, plunging the object into his skin over and over again.

His vision was starting to swim as the pain overtook him and his blood flowed freely from the rips along his chest and stomach. What did she have in her hand? She drove whatever it was home one last time and he felt a sudden sickening in his stomach as he she continued to put pressure behind the object. It slid deeper and deeper into his skin, through the muscle and between his ribs. He grasped her wrist and twisted violently, causing a shriek of pain to explode from her mouth as she let go of whatever she was stabbing him with.

He slumped back against the footboard of the bed and looked down at his blood soaked chest and the piece of metal protruding from it. The metal was between his ribs and as he tried to pull in air he felt as if something was holding his lungs shut. He yanked on the metal and pulled it out with a sick pop and then examined it as she lay under him looking at him with horror on her face.

He gasped for more air and found he couldn't pull any in. Had she punctured his lung with this? He looked at it in awe again and realized it was part of the springs from the mattress and felt the irony of the situation hit him. His mind was clouding over with lack of oxygen and he felt his body growing weak. He slumped down against the wall and as he struggled for air, slid sideways and plunged to the floor with a thud.

His world was going black and he knew it was the end. Damn that last temptation, damn him for letting his goals get sidetracked. Now it wasn't Donovan that had met the end it was him, and he was far from ready to die. But that was no longer his choice; Riley had gotten him in the end anyway. Duncan's daughter had killed him, this he knew now. He thumped his fist lightly against the floor as he felt the last of his life slip away.


	39. Chapter 39

**AN: Wow three chapters in one shot. I'm on a roll with this one and it shouldnt be long before it raps up! Enjoy. drs.**

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Willis replaced his mike for the radio after sending a message through dispatch to Gibbs and Watson. He sat drumming his fingers on the steering wheel wondering if he should go in or not. Finally he made a decision. Devin Riley could be in that house right now, and if he hesitates much longer she could die. He pushed his door open and jumped out, pulling his gun from his holster as he did so. The thought of calling for backup never crossed his mind as adrenaline surged through his system. He was about to nail that rat bastard Jordan once and for all.

He quickly jogged through the yards and up to the front door. Easing it open with his foot he quietly made his way inside, scanning as he went. He saw no one and wondered where Jordan could have disappeared to. Slowly he walked through the living room and into the kitchen. He froze and raised his gun as he noticed the cabinet pulled away from the wall exposing a hidden doorway.

He rushed forward, gun ready, and peered into the opening. A stairway leading down was what he was greeted with. Taking the steps two at a time and continually scanning in front of him he reached the bottom in no time. Darting around the end of the stairs and crouching down, he pulled his gun up expecting to see Jordan standing there. No one was in the room and he relaxed a little. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Jordan had escaped out the back door while he was on the radio and he hadn't seen it. But Jordan's car was still in the driveway. That didn't matter his mind told him, he probably made your tail and did a switch on you.

Frustrated Willis stood up and looked around. No one was down here. But why would a hidden door be left open? And it didn't appear that there was an escape route from down here…but then he saw it. There was another door, slightly ajar, on the far side of the room. He raised his gun once again and moved towards it. Nudging it open with his foot he peered down the darkened hallway, seeing another door at the end with light coming from underneath it.

He quickly rushed down this new hallway and shouldered his way into the door, coming into a well lit room. His gun and eyes hurriedly scanned in every direction looking for danger. All he saw was Jordan's naked and bloody body slumped on the floor at the foot of a bed. Then he saw the naked female body shackled to that bad.

"My God," he whispered as he lowered his gun and rushed to her side. "Devin?"

But she didn't respond and she seemed to be unconscious. He touched her neck to see if she had a pulse and she jerked away from him in response, her eyes flying open. He made a shushing gesture and kneeled down next to the bed.

"It's ok; I'm Detective Peter Willis, Los Angeles Police Department. I'm going to get you out of here."

She seemed to nod hazily as her eyes fought to focus. He could tell she was in bad shape, most likely a very serious head injury, broken arm, burns, and cuts all over her body. He pulled his suit jacket from his shoulders and draped it over her naked body. He then stood and started to pull his cell phone from his belt when he noticed a look of sheer terror cross her face.

"Behind you!" She said in a harsh whisper and Willis whirled around bringing his gun up. It was too late; he never even heard the gun discharge.


	40. Chapter 40

Devin was breathing harshly after Jordan fell from the bed. She looked over at his body and could hear his raspy attempt at breathing. He was still alive for the moment, but she was pretty sure he would never be able to touch her again. She relaxed slightly as she felt her body trembling with fear. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. This was all getting to be too much for her. Someone better come rescue her soon or her heart just might give out.

She moved her arm to make it more comfortable and it struck something cold and hard. Her eyes sprung open and slowly turned so she could see what was there. It was a gun and her mind rejoiced. She now had a weapon. Jordan must have put it there before he started to assault her. She wrapped her hand around the grip, ignoring the sharp explosion of pain from her arm, and moved it so it was hidden under the pillow behind her head. She would save that and use it the next time HE came to visit her. She felt the darkness coming again and welcomed it with open arms.

She felt someone touch her. It took a moment to register but she jerked away as soon as she realized it. Someone was there with her and she prayed it was not HIM. She opened her eyes to a stranger and could not focus her mind. He was speaking to her now, something about police. He must be a police officer her foggy mind relayed and she simply nodded to him.

He was pulling his coat off and draping it over her body. It felt good to not be exposed anymore, some of her body heat was already being trapped and warming her up slightly. She smiled in appreciation but that quickly turned to horror as she noticed movement in the doorway. It was him! She tried to yell to the police man but all that came out was a harsh whisper from her dry throat.

"Behind you!"

But it was too late. The man spun with his gun up but the blast from the doorway exploded in her ears like a cannon, causing her head to swim and her stomach to roll. She felt disoriented. Something wet and sticky coated her face and the jacket that was covering her and she suddenly realized with horror that the man who had come to save her was now dead on the ground. His head had come apart after the bullet ripped through it. Her captor was coming towards her now.

"My, my what a busy day, my dear Devin," he said in a soft voice. She glared up at him.

"Go to hell," her voice cracked at him causing her throat to hurt.

"You killed Alex I see. Was he trying to rape you? He always liked that, the more they fought the more he liked it," he continued with a smile. He produced a napkin and started to wipe the brains from her face and she pulled away as much as she could. He finished the job and then pulled the suit jacket from her body. "Shouldn't hide such a beautiful body, Devin."

"I'm still going to kill you," Devin replied her mind already focusing on the gun under her head. She just needed a single moment that he was distracted, that she could go for the gun.

"Oh, baby, I'm sure you think so. Are you ready to play again? By the way how did you kill my dear friend Alex?"

"The same way I'm going to kill you," she deadpanned at him. He smiled a full fledged grin that made her stomach sick. He then kneeled down next to Jordan and examined the wounds. He found the wire spring tucked in Jordan's right hand. He stood smiling and walked back over to her.

"A bed spring! How genius of you. I'm guessing it was for me, but Alex got here first. Lucky me. Now," he said as he sat down next to her on the bed, his right hand stroking her breast. Devin shuddered and tried to pull away, but the shackles held her in place.

"Why me?" She asked suddenly. She wanted answers now. She wanted to know why he had killed her family.

"Why you?" He asked as he continued to run his hand along her body. "Because your dad was too smart. Because your dad figured it out. We couldn't have him saying that a cop and an FBI agent were killing people. No, we had it all set up to pin all those murders on Drogan."

"So you killed him."

"Well originally we weren't going to. See he wasn't the only one that figured it out. He convinced Oliver too. But WE convinced Oliver to go away and keep his mouth shut. Your dad…he wouldn't be convinced. He was too high and mighty to be bought. So we killed him."

"And the rest of us?" Devin asked knowing that if she kept him talking he might make a mistake. And it kept his attention off of her body.

"Collateral damage. Mostly he wouldn't tell us where the notebook was. See we couldn't have our names written down in that book. They would have found it after he was dead and bingo he'da still got us. So no, we had to torture it out of him and retrieve that notebook."

"How many people have you killed?" Devin asked.

"Oh my! I don't know, Devin, I really don't know. I've killed so many people that I've lost count."

"And what was your relationship with Jordan?"

"Oh, Alex, my poor Alex. We were cousins, although no one knew that. My mother put me up for adoption when I was a baby. I only found Alex when I was seventeen and we realized our love that we shared. It was really quite a surprise. My, my aren't we talkative this evening. Maybe you are trying to distract me? Maybe I should just get down to business tonight…hmmm?"

With that he leaned down and licked her neck. She bit her lip to keep from screaming. His fingers worked their way between her legs and she fought the restraints violently. She could feel the smile cross his lips as he kissed her chest and she decided that now was her chance. He slid his body over top of hers, pressing his hips to hers as he continued to kiss her neck. She reached under the pillow and gripped the handle of the gun. A feral smile crossed her lips as she pulled the heavy Glock out and lifted it to the side of his head. She felt him freeze as the cool metal came in contact with his temple.

"For my family," she whispered his head came up to meet her eyes and she saw the complete surprise and then anger flood him. She knew he was going to go for the gun and she only had a split second. As his hand reached up in a flash she pulled the trigger. The bang it let out nearly knocked her already damaged head completely off the deep end. The wall was instantly coated in his brain mater and blood and his body heavily slumped against hers.

She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks but was too exhausted to care. She tried in vain to push him off of her but he was too heavy and her arm hurt too much. Trauma, stress, and fatigue overwhelmed her as she shuddered a few times before sinking into the darkness once again. Her last coherent thought was that someone better find her soon or she was going to succumb to her injuries.


	41. Chapter 41

The drive to Harbor Division had seemed to take days for Gibbs. Everything was in slow motion and he wanted to speed it up. Devin was running out of time and he was angry with himself for not finding her yet. He knew in his gut that this ride was in vain, but he couldn't bring his mind to believe it. He waged an internal struggle with himself, fighting about going back to Parker Center or continuing on this course. Something was off, he knew that, and he was almost certain that Jordan had lied to him. So why was he headed out here? He didn't know. It was something to do, something to occupy his mind for a while.

Gibbs saw the baseball fields that Jordan had mentioned as they drove by. Rayford turned onto the next street and Gibbs saw the mess of police cruisers littering the street. There were officers going door to door, looking inside of houses, searching for Devin. He felt the frustration grow inside him and bounced his fist lightly off the dash.

"This isn't right," he mumbled to no one in particular, his gut over powering him with feeling.

"What isn't?" Rayford asked startling him. He had forgotten he wasn't alone. He turned to the younger man.

"She isn't here. She isn't in one of these houses."

"How do you know? We've haven't even checked a third of them…"

"My gut," Gibbs growled out. Rayford parked the car.

"What do you want to do?"

"Join the search. Its something to do," Gibbs mumbled as he exited the vehicle. Just as he was about to shut the door the radio squawked and he heard his name being mentioned. Rayford leaned back in and picked up the mike.

"This is Detective Watson, go ahead dispatch, I got Agent Gibbs with me," Rayford replied as Gibbs leaned back into the car.

"I've got a message from Detective Willis of RHD for Agent Gibbs. He says that he's followed Deputy Chief Jordan to a house on the corner of Montrose and North Bonnie Brae in Rampart Division. The house is registered to a Drake Donovan. Jordan went inside twenty minutes ago and has yet to come out," the dispatcher voice returned.

Gibbs slid back into the car and motioned for Rayford to get moving. "Ten-four, Dispatch, passing the message along."

They reversed the car and Rayford and headed for the 110. Rayford was driving fast but careful, and had yet to use his police powers. The lights and sirens were off, so they were driving slightly over the speed limit. Gibbs had a sinking feeling in his gut, this was it and he was miles away. He looked over at Rayford and judged the man. He could see the intense concentration as he weaved around cars picking his way up the 110. He shook his head.

"Punch it, Rayford, let's roll code three," Gibbs said suddenly, the urge to arrive faster gnawing at him. Something was wrong and he knew Devin was at that house on Montrose and North Bonnie Brae. Rayford glanced at him momentarily before nodding and hitting a switch on the dash board. The lights of the car lit up as the siren screamed out, making cars pull off to the side as Rayford punched the gas taking the car over ninety miles per hour.

They were flying now and Gibbs felt the dread even deeper. How could he have gone on that obvious goose chase and left Willis to follow Jordan. Somewhere deep inside he had known Jordan was the key. Somehow he made this whole puzzle fit together, but he had let that slide. He had jumped at a chance to DO something and missed the right path entirely. He mentally head slapped himself and then hoped he wasn't too late.

They flew through South LA, past the University of Southern California, under the Santa Monica Freeway, past the Los Angeles Convention Center and Staples Center, all the way to the 101.

Rayford slowed slightly as he maneuvered the exit ramp then the on ramp to the Hollywood Freeway, before punching the gas again and heading towards their final destination. At that speed it didn't take them long to reach the Bellevue Exit and Rayford again slowed just enough to keep from losing control of the vehicle as they skidded off the Hollywood freeway.

Now on surface streets Rayford slowed down as he picked his way around traffic down Glendale towards Montrose. After a few near misses Rayford was cussing as he maneuvered his car onto Montrose and headed towards the corner that Willis had mentioned. He killed the lights and sirens and slowed to the speed limit. When they got there, Gibbs pointed to the sedan parked a block up the road from the mentioned house and Rayford pulled in behind it.

Gibbs got out and went to the passenger side door and peered in. No one was in the car. He looked around at all the yards scanning for any sign of Willis and found none. He checked the car again and jogged back to Rayford. Leaning in the window Gibbs let out a frustrated sigh before speaking.

"Willis isn't in the car, which house was he talking about?"

"I think that one," Rayford said pointing to a small house on the corner. "We can always go check."

Gibbs checked his watch. It had taken them over an hour to get where they were and anything could have happened. He searched the rest of the neighborhood and wondered why Willis hadn't called for back up. Something felt terribly wrong and he poked his head back into the window.

"Let's go see what's going on," Gibbs said to Rayford. The two started towards the house, each scanning the area, each with their hands close to their guns. Gibbs was knocking on the open door when he heard a gun shot ring out from somewhere in the house. He charged though the opening with out a second thought.


	42. Chapter 42

Gibbs rushed forward through a living room and into a kitchen, his gun up and ready, his eyes continually scanning the scene in front of him. In the kitchen he saw the opening and without waiting for Rayford charged forward. He could hear the young detective behind him yelling they should wait for backup, but Gibbs knew he didn't have the time.

His gut worked as he descended the dark stairway into what appeared to be a basement. It was eerily quiet and Gibbs could hear the blood rushing through his ears, and his own harsh breathing. Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, Gibbs took in the room around him. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound, and he felt his stomach tighten with dread.

Pushing forward, he saw the hidden hallway, light coming from the end of the tunnel, and rushed forward, leading the way with his weapon. The quiet pounded off his head as his footfalls echoed loudly. He nudged the door open with his gun and dropped to a crouch as he cleared the swinging door.

His breathing nearly stopped at the sight in front of him. Devin was spread, hand cuffed naked to the bed, a man on top of her, two more on the floor. He rushed to Devin and pealed the body off her, hearing it hit the floor with a heavy thud. He glanced at it and saw that half the head was missing. He turned to face the two men on the floor and cringed when he recognized Detective Willis missing a good chunk of his skull.

His eyes fell on the other body in the room and realized he was still breathing, albeit raggedly. He went to approach it before he recognized the naked man as Jordan and turned abruptly to take care of Devin first. Rayford charged into the room with his gun up and Gibbs glanced at the younger man.

"Help me," Gibbs grunted as he yanked his sport coat off and laid it over the top of Devin. He looked at her closely and put two fingers to her neck. He let out the breath he was holding when he felt a weak pulse and then he grabbed his keys from his pocket. Finding the handcuff key he began to unlock her, as Rayford draped his sport coat over her lower half.

"I'll get an ambulance," Rayford replied as he darted back out the door to head upstairs. Gibbs finally managed to free Devin, and sat down next to her on the bed. He examined her closely and sighed, her injuries were extensive and she had yet to respond to his ministrations.

Gibbs gathered her up in his arms and carried her to the upstairs of the house, placing her gently on the couch. He readjusted the two coats covering her and kneeled down. His heart was racing and he felt the sudden dread rush through him. He wasn't ready to lose her and she didn't look very well. He glanced up at Rayford who was just snapping his cell phone closed.

"Help coming?" Gibbs grunted out, his hand lying protectively over Devin's shoulder. Rayford nodded slowly.

"Yeah ambulance and more cops coming. Who was all down there?" Rayford continued, glancing back towards the kitchen.

"Willis was down there, Rafe. Half his head is gone, but it's him," Gibbs replied his gaze returning to Devin.

"She ok?"

"I don't think so," Gibbs continued with a sigh. "I think she's got a nasty head injury, and a lot of physical stuff. Cuts, bruises, burns, looks like that asshole tortured her."

"Was that the asshole down there? The one on the floor, naked?"

"No the naked one was Jordan, fucking Deputy Chief Alex Jordan," Gibbs ground out. "The other man, I think that's our killer. I think he was White or whatever the fuck his name was."

"God I hope this is all over," Rayford said while scrubbing his face with his hand. Gibbs could hear the exhaustion coming from the young man. He grabbed his phone of his belt and called Kate. She answered after three rings.

"Good news, Gibbs?" Her voice sang in his ear. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before he replied.

"We found her, Kate, I've got her, but she's hurt bad," he replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"Is help on the way?" Kate asked. Gibbs paused as he heard sirens in the background, coming up the street.

"Yeah, ambulance almost here. I can't lose her, Kate."

"She's tough, Gibbs, she'll pull through," Kate replied, her voice breaking through his walls. He nodded even though she couldn't see him, but he didn't continue. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his emotions in check.

"I'll see you at the hospital," Gibbs mumbled before snapping his phone shut. He looked up to see EMS coming through the door and he stood, taking a step back. They went to work on Devin and he told them about the other bodies in the basement, maybe one survivor.

Gibbs climbed into the ambulance with Devin, pushing past the EMS telling him he'd have to follow in another car. As the man continued to protest Gibbs pulled his weapon out and pointed it at him. The man threw his hands up and backed off as Gibbs took a seat.

Once in the emergency room, Gibbs was told he'd have to stay in the waiting room. He had called Kate as soon as he knew they were going to the same Hospital Eddie was in and she met him at the door.

She got him into a chair and he slumped his shoulders forward, dropping his head to his hands. Kate rubbed a hand in slow circles on his back, trying to calm him. She felt him shudder, and stopped what she was doing to wrap both arms around him. They sat like that for some time before Gibbs pushed forward, causing Kate to let him go.

"How's Eddie?" He asked softly.

"He's out of surgery. They've repaired the damage and have him sedated; they're thinking a full recovery."

"That's good," Gibbs breathed out.

"How are you?" Kate asked her hand rubbing his back again. He looked at her for a moment.

"I'm ok," Gibbs replied with a sigh. "Just really worried about Devin."

"I know, but she'll come through."

"She's been through so much, Kate," Gibbs said as he heard his phone ring. He grabbed it off his belt checking the ID screen. He flipped it open seeing Rayford's number. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Gibbs, we've got three dead bodies. Jordan died on the way to the hospital, plus the two corpses already down in the basement."

"What else?"

"We got prints off the third body, running them through now. Nothing yet, but will let you know as soon as we get a hit on anything. We're pretty sure this guy was the killer, but want to double check."

"Any idea what happened down there?"

"No, we're gonna need Devin's help to reconstruct all this. How is she doing?"

"They're still working on her. But Eddie is out of surgery and in recovery, they expect a full one."

"Good to hear, keep us posted on Devin."

"Yeah," Gibbs said snapping his phone shut. He turned and looked at Kate who was still rubbing his back. Why did it take him so long to admit how he felt? He smiled and leaned down slowly placing his mouth over hers.

After the kiss he leaned his head back against the wall and felt Kate settled into his side, her arms wrapped around him. He pushed his thoughts away, trying to clear his mind. Gibbs tried to keep positive thoughts in his head as he settled in for the long wait ahead.


	43. Chapter 43

**AN: Sorry for wait guys. Life has really done a number on me in the last 8 months and I've not had the ambition or concentration to write. But here you go chapter 43 of this wonderful tale. I think there will be two more chapters to come and then it will be done. Yes, sadly it is coming to an end. Anyway, enjoy and I hope to be able to write these next two chapters realtively quickly, but no promises. Have at it and review if you enjoy, or hate it, or whatever. drs.**

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Gibbs had fallen asleep at some point. He didn't know when, but he woke with a jump as his head slid sideways. He blinked a few times as he tried to clear his head, before bringing his watch up. It had been two hours since they had taken Devin into surgery to try and repair the damage done to her body. The doctor had explained the seriousness to them, and Gibbs felt his gut tighten with anxiety.

Her right arm was severely broken, and the bones had overlapped. They were going to set it and reattach the bones with plates and screws, hoping for a proper healing in time. There were several third degree burns over her body that they were worried for infections, and two that needed possible skin grafts. He had asked about sexual assault and they had assured him that the rape kit had come back negative. But the most serious of her injuries was her head injury. She had yet to regain consciousness and after looking at the CAT scan the doctors were nervous about the swelling.

Gibbs had asked what they could do and they told him they would keep her in a medically induced coma for twenty four hours and try to control the bleeding and swelling with medication before they used more drastic measures. Gibbs' world was turning inside out, but he managed to keep his emotions in check as the doctor expressed his condolences.

Gibbs looked over to see Kate sitting across the room from him leafing through a magazine. He rose to his feet, feeling his body protest from being in the awkward position for so long. Pausing for a moment, he stretched his muscles briefly before walking over and sitting down next to Kate. She looked up at him with soft eyes and he pulled in and released a deep breath.

"I miss anything?" He asked softly. She shifted her head side to side.

"No. Nobody has brought word."

"It's been two hours, Kate," he whispered as he scrubbed a hand over his face.

"It's surgery, Gibbs; they're fixing a lot of…"

"I know," he cut her off gruffly. "I know. How's Eddie?"

"Last I heard he was in recovery and coming out of the anesthesia. We should be able to talk to him soon. See what he remembers."

"Good," Gibbs grunted. It was something to do, something to keep his mind off things. He pulled his phone from his belt and turned it back on. He didn't remember turning it off and wondered if Kate had done that while he was sleeping. It chirped with three missed calls. He checked the screen and saw two were from DiNozzo, and one was from a Los Angeles number. "I'm going to go call DiNozzo back. I'll be back shortly."

"Ok," Kate said as she gently squeezed his forearm.

He rose and walked out of the waiting room and headed for the front doors. Once outside he took another deep breath and speed dialed DiNozzo. He waited a few rings before Tony picked up.

"DiNozzo."

"It's Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss, I got something for you. Took a little digging but I finally found Agent Patrick White and you won't believe…"

"Forget it, Tony, it doesn't matter anymore. White is dead."

"What? But I found…"

"He's dead and it's over. I just wanted to touch base with you and tell you I don't need you to dig up White and Alpert anymore."

"But, Boss, you don't understand. I mean I hit the mother load…"

"DiNozzo," Gibbs snapped. "I said it's over."

"And then this guy from the FBI shows up; yeah actually came to _my desk_ and says, what's your interest in White."

"Who?" Gibbs asked slightly intrigued.

"SSA Thomas Reinstock. Some big shot over there, head of some behavior unit or something according to your pal Fornell."

"Tony, you didn't get in trouble did you?" Gibbs asked suddenly concerned he'd gotten his senior field agent in hot water over this.

"Awe, thanks, Boss, didn't know you cared," Tony cooed. Gibbs grunted and Tony got the message. "Right. No, well not really. Director Vance came down and smoothed out ruffled feathers, I think you might owe him one."

"What did Reinstock want with you?"

"He wanted to know why I was running Patrick A. White through the system and what I was planning on using the information I got for."

"And you told him?"

"I was explaining that I was running an investigation when Vance cut in and they both disappeared up to the director's office. Reinstock left an hour later none too pleased if you ask me."

"I'll clear it all up when I get back," Gibbs replied as the exhaustion seeped into his voice. He really needed sleep he thought.

"You ok, Boss?"

"Yeah, Tony, I think I will be."

"When you gonna be back?"

"I don't know yet," Gibbs replied before snapping his phone shut. He'd deal with all that when he was back in Washington DC. For now he wanted to concentrate on Devin. He walked back into the hospital and sat down next to Kate. They were both quiet and Gibbs appreciated that she seemed to understand his current mood.

It was another half hour before someone came and told them that they could talk to Eddie now. Gibbs led the way, with Kate right behind him, as they entered Eddie's room. Gibbs held the wince inside as he saw the various castes and bandages.

Eddie's right leg was casted and being stabilized, his right arm was immobilized to his chest, and his chest was wrapped in bandages, deep purple bruising peeking out from all around. Eddie had his eyes closed, his breathing slow and shallow. He seemed to sense their presence.

"How's Devin? They won't tell me shit," he mumbled before wincing.

"She's still in surgery," Gibbs replied softly. "Her arm was severely broken, requiring plates and screws, she has a bad head injury that they are trying to contain, and he burned her in several places on her body."

"Motherfucker," Eddie ground out as a tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.

"It's not your fault," Kate whispered as she placed a hand softly on his good shoulder.

"Yeah it is. I was supposed to protect her," Eddie breathed out as his body shook.

"You up to telling us what you remember?" Gibbs asked.

"It was quiet in the car. I remember that, no one was talking. Devin…she turned and I think she was about to ask me something and then my memory goes black. I can't remember anything," Eddie replied as his voice shook.

"It's ok. You were in an accident. An SUV slammed into the passenger side of the car, t-boning you," Kate explained.

"What all did he do to Devin?" Eddie asked with a pleading voice.

"He burned her in several places. Third degree," Kate said.

"Did he…did…did he rape her?" Eddie asked closing his eyes, holding the tears at bay for a moment longer.

"No," Gibbs whispered as he felt his own emotions building. "But we can't rule out molestation."

"Motherfucker," Eddie grit as his breathing became harsher. Kate laid her hand on his left shoulder.

"You need to calm down, Eddie," she stated gently. He nodded slowly but the tears were rolling down his face now and he was breathing with difficulty.

"I failed her," he rasped.

"We both did," Gibbs added as he stared hard at the floor. They were silent for a while as each explored the emotions in their minds. Gibbs knew that it would be a long time before any of them were completely over this one. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts as the doctor stepped in.

"Sorry if I am interrupting but I thought you'd like an update on Detective Riley," the doctor said and all three pairs of eyes snapped to his face.

"How is she?" Gibbs asked.

"Still in critical condition with the head injury she has. Were are taking every precaution, and will be keeping her medically sedated until we can control the swelling and bleeding. So far it seems she is responding to the medication, but only time will tell on such injuries. Her arm was repaired in surgery; it required a plate and screws. The burns are another concern we have; they are at high risk for infection. We had to do skin grafts on two of the burns but the others we are hoping will heal on their own, but like I said the risk of infection is high with these kinds of burns. Especially since they were not dressed after they happened and she seemed to have been exposed to less than sanitary conditions. But for right now she is in Intensive Care. All we can do now is treat her and wait for the medication to work."

"Can we see her?" Gibbs asked. He could see Eddie shaking in the bed.

"I'll have a nurse come get you when you can see her," the doctor replied with a nod. He then abruptly turned and walked out of the room.

"Oh, God," Eddie whispered. Gibbs glanced at the younger man and saw the tear tracks down his face. His breathing was coming in gasps and he wondered how long Eddie could endure this pain. Gibbs walked to the bedside and reached down, touching Eddie's good shoulder gently.

"She's tougher than any other person on this planet, she'll make it through this," he whispered as his own tears escaped. He felt Kate wrap her arms around his waist and he turned slightly to drape his arm around her, pulling her to his side.


	44. Chapter 44

Three days had passed before they could begin to bring Devin out of her medical coma, and even then it took two days for her to fully come around. Gibbs hadn't left her side in those five days for longer than it took to take a shower. Eddie had been agitated and increasingly hostile that they wouldn't let him in to see her, but neither was in condition to be transported to another room, so Kate had sent five days trying to keep Eddie calm.

Both Watsons, Keller, and Guillermo had all paid at least one visit, with Rayford making multiple trips. The prints on the man that had abducted Devin came back as unknown and they were still in the dark as to who he really was. The house had been registered to a Drake Donovan, but no one seemed to know who he was either. Jordan had been buried, his role leading the headlines every night on the news, second only to the stories of the three fallen heroes of the Robbery Homicide Division.

When Devin finally did wake up, Gibbs felt the relief wash over him in waves. The first step in her recovery was a success. The second worry was also under control as the doctors seemed to be containing the infections in her burns, as the wounds started to heal.

By day seven Devin was speaking, and Gibbs was anxious to hear what she had to say, but the doctors cautioned pushing her to hard to fast and he held back. Her first words were asking about Eddie, and Gibbs wondered what she thought from the look in her eyes. He assured her he was fine and going to make a full recovery. He could tell she needed more time, so he gave her time to deal with everything else, and he knew when she was ready she'd let him know. And let him know she did.

Gibbs had dozed off late at night on the ninth day. He was in a light sleep, and it was easy for her to draw him back. Her voice hit his ears and his eyes snapped open immediately, as he sat forward in the chair next to her bed.

"Uncle Leroy?"

"Yeah," he mumbled as he shook the sleep from his head.

"I…sorry…I didn't mean to wake,"

"Forget it. What's on your mind?"

"Donovan," she said with a sigh.

"The guy that owned the house?"

"The guy that killed my family and held me hostage," Devin stated evenly. Gibbs nodded this was a new piece of the puzzle for them.

"Drake Donovan was the third body."

"Yeah. He didn't remember how many people he had killed, Uncle Leroy. He couldn't _remember_," she whispered with a shudder. Gibbs reached out and took hold of her good hand. She turned her head very slowly and stared him in the eyes.

"What happened in that basement?"

"How'd I get there?"

"He ambushed the car you were riding in. Killed Detective Velleccio and left Eddie for dead," Gibbs replied softly. Devin sucked in a shaky breath.

"I think I remember that," Devin said with a frown. "It's all so hazy in my mind, parts are so sharp and clear, and others are muddy and foggy. It's frustrating."

"Tell me what you remember," Gibbs replied giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Devin recounted to the best of her knowledge what had happened to her, riding a wave of emotion as she did so. Gibbs couldn't help but ride it with her and feel like a failure for not protecting her from the monster. When she was finished she looked up at him with wet, sad eyes.

"My dad knew; that's what got him killed. He knew White wasn't who he said he was and that he was a killer. Jordan helped White…or Donovan…whoever…kill my family."

"And now he's dead. You really used a bed spring?"

"It was all I had."

"You're safe now, you know that right?"

"Yeah. Can I see Eddie?"

"Not yet. Sorry. I'll see if I can get him in here in the morning," Gibbs replied. Devin nodded slowly.

"He said he was in Baltimore. This all started with him. He didn't know I was in Baltimore."

"The case you handed off before you left."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was him. He said he was there. How many others?"

"It's over now," Gibbs reassured her.

"Yeah, it's over now," she repeated closing her eyes. "Except in my head."

Gibbs squeezed her hand again. "We'll get through this, all of us."

Devin only nodded. Gibbs could see the fatigue on her face and he leaned back in the chair to let her rest. He'd call Rayford in the morning and relay everything she had shared with him tonight. It would put some questions to rest, close the case up nicely.

He watched Devin drift back to sleep before rising to his feet to stretch. He felt his muscles protest and ache, after spending too much time sitting in the chair, but he didn't care. He decided to go for a walk now that Devin was back asleep.

Once he stepped into the hallway he took in a deep breath. Things were going to be ok, he would help Devin get through this and be stronger for it in the end. He closed his eyes and stood for a moment trying to decide where to walk when he felt arms wrap around his shoulders from behind him. He opened his eyes and turned slightly to see Kate pressed against his back. It made him smile.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she whispered back. He turned to face her.

"Want to take a walk?" He asked with a quirk of his eyebrow. She nodded. As the started to move Gibbs shared his talk with Devin. "She told me what happened."

"And?"

"He didn't rape her, but he molested her," he replied with a sigh.

"It's not your fault, Jethro," Kate said softly, her hand rubbing gently on his back. He shook his head.

"I still failed to protect her…again."

"She'll be ok in time."

"Yeah. I guess we all will be," he replied. They walked in comfortable silence for a while. Gibbs couldn't help but review his relationship with Kate, and everything that had surfaced in his heart since this whole ordeal had started. Things were moving along, and he couldn't be happier about it. He had an idea where it was headed too and the thought didn't scare him, in fact it exhilarated him. Her voice brought him out of his own thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" Kate asked hesitantly. Gibbs smiled.

"Me…you…us."

"Us?"

Gibbs could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He desperately wanted to sooth it away. "Yes, us. How wonderful it is. How I should have given in sooner. How I hope it lasts."

"Really?"

"Yes, really, Kate. I haven't felt this way in a long long time, and you're the reason. Even in all my failed marriages I never had what we have."

"Jethro," Kate said with a smile.

"I'm falling in love, Kate," Gibbs replied with his own smile. He could see the shock on her face and it almost made him laugh out loud. Instead he gave her a full blown grin. She stopped him, and in the middle of the hospital hallway, she reached up and kissed him. He couldn't be happier than in that moment.


	45. Chapter 45

**AN: Wow this one is finally done. I finally figured out how to end it and what to put in this final chapter. Thanks to all of you that have read this! I enjoyed working on it. Hope you enjoyed reading it! Leave feedback if you please. until next time...drs.**

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Devin opened her eyes to early morning light. Pain hummed through her body, but the pain killers kept it to a dull ache. She took in as deep a breath as she could muster, not wanting to ignite anything, feeling the pressure in her chest. She felt like shit. Something shifted in the room and her mind pushed hard to become alert, trying desperately to over come the drug induced fog in her brain.

"It's ok, just me," Eddie's voice met her ears and she couldn't help but smile. Shifting carefully, she turned to look in the direction his voice had come from and met his worried blue eyes. She attempted to reach out with her arm but found it restrained in a cast. She looked at it quizzically. She took in his appearance making her wince. His arm was strapped tightly across his chest, and his leg was propped up and well secured to the wheel chair he sat in. She wondered how many hospital rules the nurses broke in letting him come in here. The fading bruises on his face caught her eyes next, before she closed them.

"Rough night," she mumbled without really thinking. She heard Eddie chuckle and the sound made the pain a little less.

"I'll say. You scared the hell out of me," he replied in a soft whisper and Devin could hear the tears he was holding back. She could only nod. She couldn't imagine what he had gone through.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Kid; it's just that…I don't want to lose you."

"I'm still here," she said after swallowing the lump in her throat. She studied his eyes for a long moment as neither of them spoke and she could tell there was something burning deep inside of him. She wanted to sooth him, make his fear and pain go away. The silence dragged on between them and Devin knew she had to get him to talk about whatever was eating at him. "Talk to me."

His eyes dropped from hers, unable to take the scrutiny. It worried her, and she reached over with the arm not in a cast and attempted to touch him, but he was just out of her reach, and to shift more caused pain. She dropped her arm while letting out a sigh. Eddie brought his eyes back up to her face.

"What did he do to you," he said in a rushed and broken whisper. She could tell he was desperately trying to hold onto his emotions. She felt her heart break just a little as she realized how deeply this whole thing had affected him. She wondered if his recovery might be harder than her own.

Devin thought for a moment, composing her frayed thoughts, thinking about what happened to her in that basement. She knew that she had to tell him or he would go insane agonizing over what had or had not happened to her. Taking a shaky breath she opened her mouth to begin but nothing came out. Closing it and her eyes, taking a moment, she tried again.

This time she succeeded and in as much detail as she could remember, she told him what had happened after the accident. She felt the emotions roll off her in waves, as she tried hard to keep her composure, but the soft crying coming from the chair next to her, undid her. She knew half way through that he blamed himself for everything that had happened to her and she had to find a way to let him know that wasn't true.

As she neared the end of her story, he hid his face from her and she desperately wanted to look into his eyes. She wanted to let him know, that no matter how traumatized she was, she was going to be ok in the end. She needed him to know that. When he looked up at her the love and hurt running wild in his eyes made her crumble inside.

Silence settled between them when she was finished. Neither knew what to say to comfort the other, and both were trying to wrap their minds around what had just been shared. Suddenly, Eddie's face shot up, his eyes boring into hers, making her feel pinned by them. She couldn't look away if she wanted to.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he swallowed and shook his head. "I failed you, and I'm so…"

"Stop," she said in a rush of air. How could she make him feel this wasn't his fault? "Eddie, he used a fucking SUV for Christ's sake. How in the hell do you think you could have stopped him?"

"I should have protected you. I should have had your back," he said. He was still pinning her with his blazing eyes and she knew that he was dealing with serious issues.

"I don't blame you. Not even a little," she said in a comforting tone. "What happened was awful, trust me I know, but it happened. We have to move past it, Eddie. You can't let it consume you. I'm ok, I'm alive."

"Yeah," he mumbled as he finally let his eyes drop. Devin could feel the pull of fatigue on her system. The emotional roller coaster of the last half hour had drained her of almost all her strength. She wanted to sleep, but she didn't want to leave Eddie. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to pull her foggy mind back from the brink of exhaustion. When she opened them again there was a nurse in the doorway.

"Times up, Mr. Miller," the woman said softly. "I'll give you a few minutes to wrap up."

And then she was gone and Eddie was staring at Devin, his eyes filled with pain and guilt. She didn't know how to tell him it wasn't his fault, and she figured it was something that he would have to work out in time. She would help him, she knew that. Things were different between them now and she knew, deep down, that they would be together.

"Guess I have to go back to my room now," he said. She could hear the depression lacing his voice and it hurt her heart to hear it. She mentally cursed her battered condition, wishing she could get up and go to him, hold him until all his fears were washed away.

"It's going to be ok in time, Old Timer. You know that right?" Devin's voice came in a cracked whisper. She needed him to understand that. When he looked at her, she knew he did. He smiled for the first time since she had woken and it in turn made her smile.

"As long as I have you," he said softly, his good arm reaching out and gently tracing a line from the top of her cast to her shoulder, careful to avoid her wounds. She nodded slowly.

"You'll always have me," she whispered back to him and he nodded. The nurse walked in the room and after one more smile she wheeled him out into the hallway.

Devin watched until she couldn't see them anymore and then she relaxed against the bed. Her eyes were dropping more now as exhaustion fought to overtake her. She knew they were both on the road to recovery, but the mental recovery was going to take much longer than the physical. But in time, with each other, she was certain they would pull through in the end.

The End.


End file.
